Cancer Blood Tests

Scripture of the Day:

Exodus 33:22

            “And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by"

In reading this article, I just discovered what the blood tests I got every time I went to my oncologist are looking for. I went looking because I have to go and have another blood test run tommorow. They found something they didn't like in my tumor markers. I didn't know what that was. So I looked it up. 

In this article, it talks about several things that are looked at in the blood test.  "Tumor markers are chemicals made by turmor cells that can be detected in your blood".

I did speak to my breast surgeon when I went in for that check-up. He said that it had nothing to do with my breasts as I thought. My oncologist is just keeping an eye on whether other tumors appear in my body. He asked me if I still have my ovaries. I do. 

I have to admit that I am sort of nervous. But am I terrified like I was with the breast cancer diagnosis? No. She did say that mine was not the only blood test with issues. So, maybe the lab tech made a mistake or the equipment went on the fritz. 

But if this turns out that there is truly a health issue that will effect me, I've made up my mind that if I can get through it once. I can surely do it again.

The link for this article and others is at the bottom of the page.

Cancer Blood Tests: Lab Tests Used In Cancer Diagnosis

Published September 18, 2015

Cancer blood tests: Lab tests used in cancer diagnosis

Cancer blood tests and other laboratory tests may help your doctor make a cancer diagnosis. Reduce your anxiety by learning about cancer blood tests and how they're used.

If it's suspected that you have cancer, your doctor may order certain cancer blood tests or other laboratory tests, such as an analysis of your urine or a biopsy of a suspicious area, to help guide the diagnosis.

With the exception of blood cancers, blood tests generally can't absolutely tell whether you have cancer or some other noncancerous condition, but they can give your doctor clues about what's going on inside your body.

Because your doctor has ordered cancer blood tests to look for signs of cancer, it doesn't mean that a cancer diagnosis has been made and you have cancer. Find out what your doctor might be looking for when cancer blood tests are done.

What your doctor is looking for

Samples collected for cancer blood tests are analyzed in a lab for signs of cancer. The samples may show cancer cells, proteins or other substances made by the cancer. Blood tests can also give your doctor an idea of how well your organs are functioning and if they've been affected by cancer.

Examples of blood tests used to diagnose cancer include:

• Complete blood count (CBC). This common blood test measures the amount of various types of blood cells in a sample of your blood. Blood cancers may be detected using this test if too many or too few of a type of blood cell or abnormal cells are found. A bone marrow biopsy may help confirm a diagnosis of a blood cancer.
• Blood protein testing. A test to examine various proteins in your blood (electrophoresis) can aid in detecting certain abnormal immune system proteins (immunoglobulins) that are sometimes elevated in people with multiple myeloma. Other tests, such as a bone marrow biopsy, are used to confirm a suspected diagnosis.
• Tumor marker tests. Tumor markers are chemicals made by tumor cells that can be detected in your blood. But tumor markers are also produced by some normal cells in your body, and levels may be significantly elevated in noncancerous conditions. This limits the potential for tumor marker tests to help in diagnosing cancer.
  The best way to use tumor markers in diagnosing cancer hasn't been determined. And the use of some tumor marker tests is controversial.
  Examples of tumor markers include prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer, cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) for ovarian cancer, calcitonin for medullary thyroid cancer, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for liver cancer and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) for germ cell tumors, such as testicular cancer and ovarian cancer.
• Circulating tumor cell tests. Experimental blood tests are being developed to find cells that have broken away from an original cancer site and are floating in the bloodstream. More research is needed to understand how these tests can help doctors diagnose advanced cancers.

What the results mean

Test results must be interpreted carefully because several factors can influence test outcomes, such as variations in your body or even what you eat. In addition, keep in mind that noncancerous conditions can sometimes cause abnormal test results. And, in other cases, cancer may be present even though the blood test results are normal.

Your doctor reviews your test results to determine whether your levels fall within a normal range. Or your doctor may compare your results with those from past tests.

What happens next

Though blood and urine tests can help give your doctor clues, other tests are usually necessary to make the diagnosis. For most forms of cancer, a biopsy — a procedure to obtain a sample of suspicious cells for testing — is usually necessary to make a definitive diagnosis.

In some cases, tumor marker levels are monitored over time. Your doctor may schedule follow-up testing in a few months. Tumor markers are most often helpful after your cancer diagnosis. Your doctor may use these tests to determine whether your cancer is responding to treatment or whether your cancer is growing.

Discuss test results with your doctor. Ask your doctor what your results say about your health and what the next steps should be.

- See more at: http://www.lifescript.com/health/a-z/mayo/c/cancer_blood_tests_lab_tests_used_in_cancer_diagnosis.aspx#sthash.xfBObpWT.dpuf

Cancer Blood Tests

If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know He loves you.

Cancer Jargon

Scripture of the Day:

Psalms 22:5

            They  cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

Cancer Jargon

As a breast cancer survivor, I have learned a lot of new vocabulary. I found this article about some of the jargon, but it does not include all of what I have learned. For example, I've learned that Letrozole (medication) is just a generic form of tamoxifen. Invasive ductal carcinoma means that cancer has spread around the breast tissue.

From angiogenesis to zoledronate: A primer on cancer jargon

CTCA
October 06, 2016

Of all the challenges that may accompany a cancer diagnosis, learning a new vocabulary shouldn't be one of them. But cancer has a dictionary all its own—words and phrases you may never utter or hear if you or a loved one were not dealing with the disease. Health care professionals, who have spent their careers communicating in their own vocabulary, too often forget that patients and caregivers may not speak their language.

A 2008 study by the Medical College of Wisconsin concluded that "jargon is a barrier to effective patient-physician communication," and suggested practicing physicians and medical students be discouraged from using it. The study analyzed dozens of transcripts from consultations between doctors and cancer patients and concluded: "The large number of jargon words and low number of explanations suggest that many patients may not understand counseling about cancer screening tests." And last year, the 2015 Cancer Experience: A National Study of Patients and Caregivers found that less than half of the patients and caregivers surveyed understand terms like genomic testing, immunotherapy or molecular testing, and even fewer understood the benefits.

Dr. Cynthia Lynch, a Medical Oncologist at our hospital near Phoenix, says switching gears from conversations with medical professionals to patients can be a challenge. "When a patient first comes into the room, I usually ask them, 'Tell me your understanding of things that are going on.' I want to hear their words, the terminology they are using, so I can best meet them where they are and take them to the next level of understanding," she says.

Words are often defined by the sum of their parts. Dissect a word, and you may interpret its meaning through suffixes and prefixes that have origins in ancient Greek and Latin—the languages of the medical lexicon. For instance, the prefix "onco" has origins in Greek (onkos, meaning growth or lump) and Latin (onco, meaning tumor). Therefore, we have oncologists, doctors who treat cancer, and oncogenes, genes with the potential to mutate and help cancer cells develop. The ancient Greek physician Galen is believed to be the first to use the suffix "oma" when referring to cancers, helping to define:

Melanoma, or cancer that develops in melanocytes, the skin cells that produce melanin, which give skin its color

Carcinoma, the most common form of cancer that usually forms in skin cells or in the lining of organs, such as the kidney or liver

Sarcoma, a tumor that grows in the body's connective tissue, such as muscles or bone

Glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer

When researching cancer or discussing your condition with a doctor, you may come across some foreign terms. Below is a list of common terms in the oncologist’s medical dictionary:

Angiogenesis: This is the process of developing new blood vessels and a vital step in the development of tumors. Among targeted therapy drugs used to treat cancer are angiogenesis inhibitors, designed to prevent tumors from developing new blood supplies.

Apoptosis: When old or damaged cells end their lives in order to make room for new cells, the process is called apoptosis. Cancer cells evade apoptosis and grow unchecked when untreated or when treatment fails.

Metastasis: Cancer becomes metastatic, or spreads, when it travels and develops in another part of the body. Metastasized cancer is referred to by its origin. Metastasized breast cancer in the lungs, for example, is still considered breast cancer.

Palliative treatment: This term, often inaccurately used interchangeably with hospice care, is used to describe care that does not directly treat the disease, but focuses on improving quality of life, such as reducing pain and treating symptoms and side effects of cancer. 

Unresectable: Cancer that cannot be removed, or resected, by surgery is categorized as unresectable.

Zoledronate: Also called zoledronic acid, this is a drug used to treat bone disease. It is often given to cancer patients suffering from bone metastases or bone damage caused by other cancers.

The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute websites offer extensive dictionaries to help the public interpret the alphabet soup of cancer jargon. But even before consulting the Internet, if you don't understand a word or phrase, experts recommend that you ask your doctor to explain the language to your satisfaction.

"Don't spend a lot of time stressing and searching for answers," Dr. Lynch says. "Make sure you have a provider you are comfortable with and can ask questions of. Reach out to your doctor, because a lot of times, things can be cleared up quickly."

What you should do, ask and know if you think 

you have cancer.

Cancer Jargon

If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know He loves you.

Staggering Statistics

Scripture of the Day:

1^st Corinthians 13:7,8

           

Love know no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of it hope, it can outlast anything. Love never fails.

One in eight women, that is a terrible statistic. I have my mother, my mother-in-law, three sisters and three sisters-in-law. I have one daughter and one daughter-in-law and two granddaughters. It is disconcerting, to say the least, that the odds are at least one of these women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their life. 

Before my diagnosis, when breast cancer wasn't so much on my radar, I knew of one person with breast cancer and she did not survive. Since my diagnosis, one of my student's mother was diagnosed and she was gone in no time...less than a year. 

Since my diagnosis, I have found out about two family members who are survivors. I have five friends and acquaintances who are survivors and I have a friend who's mother was just diagnosed. Count them, eight people. 

According to the American Cancer Society, about 246,660 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2016. About 61,000 of those new cases will be carcinoma in situ. This is a non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer. They predict that 40,450 women will die of breast cancer in 2016.

Key Statistics

These are horrible statistics and my personal statistic that I shared do not include family, friends, and acquaintances that are suffering from different forms of cancer. 

I cannot state this enough. Please schedule your mammogram and do the self checks. Your life could depend on it. 

If you are making this trip as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know He loves you.

Survivor's Guilt

Scripture of the Day:

Numbers 6:24

The Lord bless thee and keep thee.

This week I gradutated in that I don't have to go back to see my surgeon ever again, unless I want to. My last post pertains to this. in that post, I mentioned survivor's guilt and decided to look it up. The following article describes me to a T. All my thoughts and questions are there. This artical is by Laurie Wertich and was published on Cancer Center. com. The link to the actual article can be find at the bottom. 

I'm sure that survivor's guilt is probably the same for all kinds of cancers. Even after 5 years, I don't feel so bad to still think about it. 

Moving beyond survivor guilt

Author: Laurie Wertich

Cancer survivorship can be accompanied by a unique set of emotions—joy, grief, fear, relief, deep gratitude, a heightened sense of purpose, and an overwhelming sense of responsibility to live life to the fullest.

But there is another nagging feeling that can sneak into the mix: guilt. Survivorship is such a blessing, yet in spite of that blessing, we often find ourselves reflecting on those who have not been as fortunate.

Why me?

The first question that many people ask in the face of a cancer diagnosis is Why me? This is a normal response to such an overwhelming diagnosis. Why did I get this disease? Why am I sick when others are not? Why do I have to endure this treatment? Though generally unanswerable, it is a completely reasonable question.

In the shift from diagnosis to treatment and on to recovery, the primary question changes. More often than not, most cancer patients move pretty quickly from Why me? to What’s next? What do I need to do to survive? How can I best care for myself during treatment? What will I do with my precious life after treatment?

Here’s where it gets interesting: in the face of survivorship, many patients find themselves also circling back around to that first question as they move beyond diagnosis to treatment and recovery, only this time Why me? carries with it a twinge of guilt and sadness. Why did I survive when others did not? Why was I so lucky?

What is survivor guilt?

Survivor guilt is common among survivors of traumatic events—such as war, natural disasters, accidents, and even acute or longterm illnesses such as cancer. Survivor guilt refers to the sense of guilt or responsibility that can occur when one person survives a traumatic event that others did not. And, yes, cancer can be a traumatic event.

“Not all of our patients experience cancer as a traumatic event,” explains Rhonda Colley, MS, LPT, LMFT, a mind-body therapist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “But even if they aren’t traumatized, they can still experience survivor guilt, which means basically feeling guilty that they got through this treatment journey relatively unscathed.”

Colley works with a lot of survivors who are experiencing some level of guilt. “We call it ‘imagined guilt’ or ‘survivor guilt,’” she says. “Sometimes patients feel responsible in part for the passing of fellow patients.”

This may not make sense to someone who has not walked the cancer path, sat with fellow patients in the waiting room, compared diagnoses and treatment plans, and given and received encouragement throughout the journey. But to a cancer survivor, it makes perfect sense, and it is another part of the cancer journey that must be processed.

Who experiences survivor guilt?

There is a sense of implied comparison that occurs among people who have endured similar ordeals. It’s only natural to compare type and stage of cancer, treatment plans, nutrition plans, and more. It’s what we do—we find common ground, especially in the face of cancer—because we need one another.

“We have an amazing support community at CTCA®,” Colley says. “Our patients seek each other out in the cafeteria and the waiting rooms. They gravitate toward one another. But because of that tight bond, they might be more inclined to feel a sense of survivor guilt.”

Colley explains that CTCA patients form deep connections. “They may have the same type and stage of cancer, and then they go through treatment and one has a different outcome.”

Sometimes in these cases, but not always, survivor guilt ensues. Some patients develop a sense of guilt or responsibility— believing that they should have helped the other patient survive or, worse, that they should have been the one to pass away. Some survivors will get stuck in a vicious cycle of “if only”: If only I had told her about the special vitamins I was taking. If only I had encouraged him to try acupuncture. If only I had worked harder to build hope in that person.

“Some people experience no survivor guilt, and others are overwhelmed by it,” Colley explains. “Many times it’s something that may be operating at a deeper level, and the person is not even aware that they have it.”

Coping with survivor guilt

Though some refer to survivor guilt as imagined guilt, that’s not to say it isn’t real. “We do not invalidate anyone’s feelings. Feelings are very real,” explains Colley. “The feeling of guilt is real, but the foundation of it is imagined.”

With that in mind, often the first step in coping with survivor guilt is to examine the foundation of the guilt. A mind-body therapist can be instrumental in this process. “I really encourage patients to talk to us about their feelings regarding other patients,” Colley says. “Sometimes it is a big help just to verbalize the feelings.”

Colley says that she asks patients to be willing to hear feedback: “We mirror back to them what we are hearing them say— which is that they are experiencing something that is understandable but unfounded.” She says that it is important to examine the feelings and understand that they are real—but unrealistic. “We ask them to really think about how they arrived at this conclusion that they should have been able to help this other person survive.”

Colley encourages patients to examine their feelings of guilt by journaling, talking to a therapist, or participating in a support group. “I like to get patients connected to groups because that can help give them a constant sense of balance,” she explains.

What’s more, Colley says that one of the most effective ways to move beyond survivor guilt is to look ahead and try to bring something good out of the experience. “What could a survivor do that would be productive and fruitful going forward?” she asks.

Survivorship presents an opportunity to leave regrets behind and reprioritize life in a new way. Sometimes this means making drastic changes, but sometimes it can be as simple as planting a tree in honor of a fellow patient who did not survive.

This too shall pass

The good news is that survivor guilt typically fades with time. It is important to acknowledge and accept the feelings of guilt—and allow yourself to move beyond them. You deserve to survive and thrive and enjoy your one wild and precious life.

Survivor's Guilt

If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know He loves you.

A Wonderful Milestone

Scripture of the Day:

“Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.”

John 12:35 

I had a 6 month check up with my breast surgeon last Wednesday. The doctor told me that I don't ever have to come back. I have reached the 5 year mark. They gave me a certificate and a couple of gifts that made me just cry. They also, of course, said that I could call anytime and schedule an appointment if I had concerns.

I have to admit that part of this was bittersweet. I know survivor's guilt exists. I feel it now and then. As much as I love that I don't have to go back, I can't help think of those that are still fighting, who's struggle is a little harder than mine was or have lost the battle. 

If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know He loves you.

Reaching a Milestone

Scripture of the Day:

Isaiah 58:11

            The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen you frame. You will be     like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. 

Reaching a Milestone

In the last month, there are 3 other cases of some form of cancer that has effected family, one of my children's friends, and the mother of another friend who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. It is so disheartening to hear about these people that I love and care about. So when I get good news, I jump on it.

I had my 6 month check up with my oncologist on Tuesday. I got another clean bill of health and I have now graduated to yearly check ups. I don't have to go back for a whole year. My eyes just got watery when she said that. I hope and pray that everyone still living on my prayer list and those just diagnosed can reach those milestones as I have. 

Please check the prayer list page and add them to your prayer chains. If there is anyone that you want me to add, please let me know.

If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know He loves you.

  

Breast Cancer and Your Job

Scripture of the Day:

Job 29:3

            By His light I walked through the darkness

Breast Cancer and Your Job

Breast cancer can and will effect your job. I was diagnosed on March 3 and in that month following the diagnosis, I had 2 doctor's appointments or MRIs or blood work per week. I had my mastectomy on March 28th. After that surgery, I was out for 6 weeks. When I came back to work, I had my chemo therapy treatments. Fortunately, I was a school teacher and school ended and I could finish those treatments without effecting my job. I was also very fortunate in the high school where I worked, Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach. They bent over backwards for me. It effect my position non what-so-ever. Not all are so fortunate. 

How will you balance your disease and your job? The following article should give you some insight.

The impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on work life can vary from person to person. For some people, the effect is minimal. You may have an understanding supervisor, a flexible schedule, and an encouraging team to support you through treatment. For others, there might be some questions about how to manage work and treatment: What do I tell my boss? Should I take time off from work for treatment? How will I pay the bills?

This section offers ways to manage the emotional, physical, and legal aspects of balancing your job and your treatment:

• Telling Your Boss and Co-Workers About Your Breast Cancer Diagnosis
• The first question you may want to ask yourself when thinking about talking to your boss or coworkers about your breast cancer diagnosis is “Should I tell?” You don’t have to tell anyone at work, unless it is apparent that your diagnosis or treatment will interfere with your ability to work or your work schedule. Keep in mind that if you decide not to discuss your health at work, some questions may be raised if your productivity level is affected, or if you miss a lot of time at work due to treatment appointments.
  You might decide to just tell some people — your supervisor, your closest colleagues, or someone with whom you share responsibilities. Or, you could decide to tell everything to everyone, depending on how comfortable you feel. So how do you tell them, and what do you tell them? Keep in mind that people may react differently; you may receive great amounts of support from some coworkers, while others might not be as comfortable with the conversation.
  Your comfort is the most important, so do what feels right for you. Here are some things you might want to try to make the discussion a little easier:
  • Have the conversation in a comfortable, yet private area.
  • Talk to your co-workers in smaller groups of one to three people, to make conversation easier.
  • Assure your team of your commitment to your job. Explain that you will do everything in your power to do the best job you can. For example, you can ask someone to handle your duties when you’re not at work and you’ll follow up when you return.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask your co-workers for help and understanding.Explain that you may need some flexibility in your schedule and support in some projects.
  • Explain that you will keep everyone posted on your health as needed.Allow coworkers to ask some questions about your situation — most likely, they care and want to help. At the same time, if they seem to be asking too many questions, let them know that you appreciate their concern, but that you’d like to focus on work.
  • Discuss a possible change in your appearance. You may experiencehair loss, for example, if you’ll be having chemotherapy treatments.
• Working During Treatment
• While some people choose to take some time off from work during treatment for breast cancer, others decide to work through treatment. If you’ve chosen to work during your treatment, let your doctor know. Your doctor may be able to scheduletreatments around your working hours or give you suggestions on dealing with work stress while in treatment. Also, you can ask your doctor if any of your treatments have side effects that could affect your daily routine. Side effects such as nausea and fatigue may have an influence on daily work routines. Learn how to manage side effects associated with some breast cancer treatments.
  Sometimes, people undergoing breast cancer treatment experience thinking and memory problems, or “cognitive” effects. Cognitive effects such as memory lossand lack of concentration can have an impact on work. If you’re finding that it’s hard to stay focused, or you’re forgetting important things, it may be helpful to keep a work journal. In your journal, you may want to:
  • Record meetings and appointments on paper with time and date, who the appointment was with, and what was discussed. You can keep track of work meetings and doctor’s appointments.
  • Jot down important conversations. Make notes that include ideas you want to remember and decisions made during the conversation. If you have regular meetings at work, bring your journal for note-taking.
  • Track deadlines. List when things are due, and keep a timeline of goals met along the way.
  • Make a to-do list and add to it each time you think of something new. Check off items as you accomplish them.
  • Set realistic goals for tasks to be completed. Try to stick to your goals if you can, but don’t push yourself too hard.
  • Keep a written schedule to help you remember your work days and days off.
  If you have health insurance, it’s also a good idea to keep track of certain medical information. You may want to write down the dates of doctor’s visits and any hospitalizations, as well as names and dosages of medications. Keep copies of insurance claims and correspondence, in case any questions come up about what’s covered. Keep all of this information in a safe place, along with the rest of your medical records and any financial or legal information. If you don’t have health insurance, you can learn about other ways to manage treatment costs in our section on Paying for Your Care.
• Taking Time Off Work for Treatment
• Self-Employed and In Treatment
• Looking for a New Job
• Recognizing and Responding to Discrimination at Work

The last four bullets can be found at the following website:
Your Job

I just wanted to put a few things on this site and encourage to look at the website for yourself. I hope that you are as fortunate as I am when it came to my work environment.

If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know He loves you,.