Lung Cancer

I love spending time with lung cancer survivors, and I'm still glowing from an incredibly awesome experience this month.

Thanks to LUNGevity, I was allowed to take part in an amazing weekend of celebrating lung cancer survivors in our nation's capitol. This years summit may have been the largest gathering of lung cancer survivors together in one place - ever!

The annual "HOPE Summit" was held in Washington DC May 5th and 6th 2012. As a celebration for lung cancer survivors, the talks and agenda were all based on requests made by people living with lung cancer. But the energy came from watching lung cancer survivors unite with other lung cancer survivors.

So many people I communicate with remark that they haven't been involved in a group of lung cancer survivors. In fact, many people have told me that they have never even met another survivor in person.

It's hard for me to imagine -- as a breast cancer survivor myself. And that's where I need to speak up, and not quietly.

I shared at the end of my talk that I'm so grateful that you've let me join all of you - not just this weekend, but all the way through my own cancer journey. You haven't balked at the pink, but instead welcomed me with arms wide open. It's time that the breast cancer communities similarly open their arms to those with lung cancer.

I can't say I'm not grateful for all of the pink. I'm one of those who has benefitted from the research. But it's time that we see a rainbow instead of pink alone. It's time we see that people struggle with many forms of cancer, not just breast cancer. And with lung cancer, it's time that we see anyone can get lung cancer. That is -- anyone who has lungs.

No. Lung cancer isn't "sexy." But as I've written before, it's time we look beneath the breasts. It's time we start seeing lung cancer. Because in seeing it we can raise awareness. And in seeing it we can love those who have often felt invisible amidst the sea of pink.

Photo ©Lynne Eldridge, licensed to About.com

It seems too easy. Taking 5 or 10 minutes out of your day to do nothing. But that "doing nothing" appears to have benefits worth every minute -- according to studies evaluating meditation for its effect on cancer patients.

And not only is meditation easy -- in this challenging economy, the price is right. Signing up for meditation at your cancer center may cost a little, but practicing meditation is completely free. All you need is yourself and a few minutes of time.

What are some of the benefits of meditation for people living with cancer? A few of these include:

• Improved sleep
• Lower levels of stress hormones (these hormones may play a role in the development and in the spread of cancer)
• Less pain
• Less depression and anxiety
• A lower level of perceived stress
• Less fatigue
• Better cognitive functioning (it may help with that annoying symptom of chemobrain)

As a cancer survivor myself, I believe meditation has done wonders for my frame of mind as I've coped with both the unexpected and the expected in my journey. And whether or not it has improved my survival odds, it's certainly calmed me and relaxed me at times when anxiety or stress were interfering with my enjoyment of the day.

Have you tried meditation to help you in your journey with cancer? I'd love to hear your story.

Read more about the benefits of meditation, as well as ways to get started in the comfort of your home today.

• Meditation for People With Cancer

Photo: Dreamstime.com, author Andresr

Surgery for lung cancer offers a chance for a cure - something that is unfortunately uncommon with lung cancer. But in offering that chance, we don't often talk about what happens in the long run after surgery. A time we now call "survivorship."

How good is quality of life over the long run for people who have had lung cancer surgery?

The results of a new study are - fortunately - not what I would have expected. And they left me feeling very encouraged and optimistic for people whose lung cancers are found in the early stages when surgery is possible.

Researchers took a look at 830 disease-free lung cancer survivors (disease free meaning that no evidence of cancer can be found on exam or through imaging studies.) All of these survivors had stage 0 to stage 3 lung cancer that was treated with surgery.

Comparing this group to people without lung cancer (the general population) they found that there wasn't a significant difference in functioning. Fortunately, there also was no significant difference in most of the symptoms experienced by the two groups.

As would be expected, lung cancer survivors who underwent surgery did have more shortness of breath, coughing and chest wall pain, and also experienced more financial problems.

What this study offers is good news for those people who are preparing for lung cancer surgery. Not only might it grant the chance for a cure, but symptoms and general functioning after the surgery are similar to those people who haven't had lung cancer surgery.

• Preparing for Lung Cancer Surgery

Photo: National Cancer Institute, unknown photographer

_Source:

_{Yun, Y. et al. Health-Related Quality of Life in Disease-Free Survivors of Surgically Treated Lung Cancer Compared With the General Population. Annals of Surgery. 2012 Mar 30. (Epub ahead of print).}

One of our health writers on About.com has put together an amazing article for people interested in their health. She started by asking the rest of us if we would be interested in writing an article about 10 things that people with the condition or disease we write about should stop doing.

I wrote mine for people living with lung cancer. At first it was hard to write. The last thing that anyone with lung cancer needs is having someone add to their "to-do" list, even if it's a "don't-do" list. But as I researched the article and thought about my own experiences with cancer, I realized that many of these "don't do" steps could actually make life easier, simpler, and more joyful for someone living with lung cancer.

So here's the article:

• 10 Things to Stop Doing if You Have Lung Cancer

And I have to share the article our fellow guide put together. She highlights articles that people with other medical conditions may be interested in, as well as articles that feature things to stop doing in order to live longer or lessen stress in your life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

• 10 Things to Stop Doing: Stop Doing These Things and Improve Your Health

Photo: Dreamstime.com, author Twmedia

"Sweet" and "natural" aren't usually among the words we use to describe treatments designed to cope with the side effects of chemotherapy. But there is one sweet approach to treating those annoying chemotherapy induced mouth sores that seems to work..

Honey.

Mouth sores (mucositis) come about because chemotherapy kills rapidly dividing cells like cancer -- and the cells in our mouths are rapidly dividing. Mouth sores are not only a nuisance and painful, but can interfere with your ability to eat and get the nutrition you need during cancer treatment.

Since there really isn't much that can be done about mouth sores, researchers decided to test honey. Honey is known to have wound healing as well as anti-oxidant properties. And honey was found in an earlier study to work preventatively for chemotherapy and radiation induced mouth sores for people with head and neck cancer.

They found that honey decreased the recovery time and significantly sped up healing for people with grade 2 and grade 3 mouth sores.

Several chemotherapy drugs used for lung cancer, such as Platinol (cisplatin), Adriamycin (doxorubicin) and VePecid (etoposide) are notorious for causing mouth sores. Though this study was done on children with cancer, it might be worth asking your oncologist if honey could work for you as well.

Further Reading:

• Coping with Chemotherapy Induced Mouth Sores
• Honey Remedies

Photo: Dreamstime.com, author Mhd

_Source:

_{Abdulrhman, M. et al. Honey and a mixture of honey, beeswax, and olive oil-propolis extract in treatment of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis: a randomized controlled pilot study. Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. 2012. 29(3):285-92.}

Pain from cancer, or conditions that coexist side by side with cancer, can wreak havoc on your quality of life. Pain not only affects your physical ability to enjoy life, but has a tremendous emotional impact as well. In a nutshell, pain contributes to all of those feelings we don't want or don't need when trying to cope with cancer. Yet, even though medicine has come a long way as far as resources for addressing pain are concerned, many people with cancer are living with pain that's not adequately managed.

Researchers decided to take a look at pain management in people with lung cancer - including those with non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma. Of these people, 48% had surgery, 58% chemotherapy, and 44% went through radiation therapy. In cases where pain control was insufficient, they then tried to determine the reasons why.

Some of the findings to note included:

• A full 92% of people reported experiencing pain - 52% of people blamed the cancer for the pain, 38% felt cancer treatment was the cause, and 67% were uncertain what exactly was causing their pain.
• Among the people who experienced pain, 33% did not use pain medication to control their symptoms.
• Using medications to alleviate symptoms was more likely in people who underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Men were overall less likely to use medications to control their pain. As far as cancer type, education level and minority status, there were no significant differences in the use of pain control medications.

So. We know pain can adversely affect quality of life for people with cancer. Why were so many people reluctant to use medications to adequately control their pain?

Reasons stated included:

• Fear of addiction/dependence. (76%)
• Healthcare providers did not recommend medications. (71%)
• Inability to pay for medications . (56%)

What does this study mean for you or your loved ones who are coping with cancer pain?

It's important to understand that addiction is rare in people who are using pain medications appropriately to manage cancer pain. In fact, in people who undergo surgery for cancer, it's been shown that the overall amount of pain medication needed is less if it is taken regularly.

Ask for medications if you need them. Don't assume your oncologist is aware of your pain and will offer you a prescription. Understand that everyone is different and everyone experiences pain differently. If you need more pain medication than someone else with a similar tumor or stage of disease, it doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong. It simply means your body is experiencing more pain. And if finances are an issue in affording your pain medications, check out the resources below.

Even though I was saddened to see these numbers, I was pleased to see that a good percentage of people were pursuing non-medication methods to cope with their pain. In this study 76% of people used physical therapy, and 24% of people utilized complementary and alternative therapies to help alleviate pain.

Further Reading:

• Managing Pain With Lung Cancer
• Financial Resources for People With Cancer
• What Complementary/Alternative Treatments Help With Lung Cancer?

Photo: Dreamstime.com, author Abdone

_Source:

_{Simone, C. et al. Palliative care in the management of lung cancer: analgesic utilization and barriers to optimal pain management. Journal of Opioid Management. 2012. 8(1):9-16.}

The proverbial "they" say that learning as much about your cancer as you can has positive benefits. Well here's a chance to do that for free.

LUNGevity, a not-for-profit organization benefitting lung cancer survivors, is offering a free webinar designed with the needs of lung cancer patients (and their families) in mind.

Dr. Stephanie Harmon, a physician at Stanford University will be covering topics that include:

• Managing pain
• Managing nausea
• Depression
• Cancer fatigue (I plan on tuning in to listen to this discussion for sure)
• Palliative care

The date: - Friday, April 20, 2012

The time: - 4 PM EST

The website for registration: - Webinar Registration

The LUNGevity website also includes a list of past webinars that are available in podcast form for your listening. Check out topics you may be interested in learning about here.

Photo: National Cancer Institute, Ernie Branson (photographer)

There has been a lot in the news about the role aspirin may play in cancer prevention. Many studies have looked to see if there is a benefit in preventing colon cancer.

But what about lung cancer? Does aspirin help to prevent lung cancer?

And for people living with lung cancer, might aspirin still be a good idea?

Although a study last year downplayed any benefit aspirin may have in preventing lung cancer, a new study suggests it may indeed help certain people avoid the disease.

In this new study, researchers found that Asian women who took aspirin at least twice a week for at least a month had a reduced risk of developing lung cancer that was significant. This was the case both for non-smokers and for people who smoke, with non-smokers having a risk that was 50% lower and smokers having a risk of lung cancer that was 62% lower than for those people who didn't use aspirin.

So what about people living with lung cancer? This study didn't mention people already living with cancer. (Can you hear me whining?) The science is still young, but there may be a benefit. A few studies suggest that aspirin may help prevent cancer from spreading (metastasizing) to other parts of the body.

Of course, aspirin isn't for everyone. The use of aspirin carries the risk of stomach bleeding and can interact with some medications (especially blood thinners.) Your doctor may feel that due to other medical conditions you have that taking aspirin would be too risky. It's important to talk to her before beginning aspirin if you are not already taking it.

I know this entry should end by saying there are well known ways to lower lung cancer risk - but we all know where that's headed. But how about another approach? Instead of bringing up smoking, let's instead talk about the risk of radon. For $20 or less you can test your home for the second leading cause of lung cancer, and we know that treating an elevated level can lower your risk.

Further Reading:

• Top Tips for Lung Cancer Prevention

Photo: dreamstime.com, author Webking

_Sources:

_{Alra, A., and P. Rothwell. Effects of regular aspirin on long-term incidence and metastasis: a systematic comparison of evidence from observational studies versus randomized trials. Lancet Oncology. 2012 Mar 20. (Epub ahead of print)}

_{Lim, W. et al. Aspirin and non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and risk of lung cancer. Lung Cancer. 2012 Apr 3. (Epub ahead of print).}

_{Rothwell, P. et al. Effect of daily aspirin on risk of cancer metastasis: a study of incident cancers during randomized controlled trials. Lancet. 2012 Mar 20. (Epub ahead of print).}

Cancer screening - that is, seeking out and finding cancers before any symptoms are present - can save lives. In fact, the recent decrease in cancer deaths in the United States is attributed largely to screening colonoscopies that can detect - and allow physicians to remove - colon cancers in the precancerous or earliest stages of the disease.

We also have screening tests that are widely used for breast cancer (mammograms), cervical cancer (Pap smears), and prostate cancer. But thus far screening for lung cancer has not been a regular practice. Screening has been reserved primarily for who seek out testing on their own. Why?

We are just beginning to see the benefits of lung cancer screening demonstrated in large studies. And, at least in high-risk people, we now understand that screening can save lives. But another issue is the cost. Lung cancer screening is usually an out-of-pocket expense that is not covered by insurance.

But now that might change. Why? Follow the money. It appears that lung cancer screening not only saves lives, but may be cost effective as well.

Researchers at Rush University did a study in which they compared what it would cost to screen for lung cancer with what it costs to screen for other common cancers. That number came down to a cost-per-year-of-life-saved of $19,000. This is similar - if not lower -- to what we currently spend to screen for cervical, breast and colon cancer.

Still, there were limits on when screening would be cost effective. The numbers crunch out that screening would be worth it (from a financial standpoint that is) for people who are high risk. That is, people between the ages of 50 and 64 who have a history of 30 pack-years of smoking or more. Since we know that non-smokers and people who have less than a 30 pack-year history of smoking can also get lung cancer, we still need to search for a cost effective way to screen everyone for this disease.

Photo: National Cancer Institute, Linda Barlett (photographer)

_Source:

_{Pyenson, B. et al. An Actuarial Analysis Shows That Offering Lung Cancer Screening As An Insurance Benefit Would Save Lives At Relatively Low Cost. Health Affairs. 2012. 31:4880-779.}

Most people have heard the phrase "type A personality." And if you're like me, you might wish you had more characteristics of a type B. Type A's may be responsible and dependable, but type B's know how to relax. As a type A first-born physician daughter I often wish I had the personality of my second-born and much more laid back type B brother.

But it's important to understand another personality type, the "type D," because being type D may place people who have survived cancer at special risk.

Type D is much less understood so I'll explain it a bit. People with type D personalities tend to be chronically stressed and have a tendency to look at life from a negative standpoint. In the article I'll share it is defined as "a propensity to psychological distress."

We often hear that a positive attitude makes a difference in our health when battling and moving beyond cancer, but what role does a negative attitude have. Does a propensity to think negatively affect survivorship?

To study this, researchers looked at the profiles of over 3,000 cancer survivors who had completed a personality questionnaire in addition to sharing other information about their cancer and state of health. 19% of the survivors in this group were felt to have type D personality.

Among those with type D personality, the incidence of "comorbid conditions" - that is, other medical conditions in addition to cancer, was significantly higher than among those without a type D personality. Some of these conditions included:

• Osteoarthritis
• Depression
• Back pain
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Lung Disease

People who were considered to have type D personality also frequented the offices of their general practitioners and cancer specialists more often.

So what does this mean for you?

Obviously we can't change our personality. But if you find yourself being negative or stressed beyond what seems to be normal given your circumstances, it might help to seek help. Finding a good cancer survivor support group may be a start. Seeking out a counselor to help you sort out your feelings may also help - as long as you use the sessions to reframe your thinking into a more positive light rather than focusing on rehashing negatives you have no control over. Check out this article for some great tips.

• How to Become a Positive Thinker

Photo: Dreamstime.com, author Creatista

_Source:

_{Mols, F. et al. Type D personality is associated with increased comorbidity burden and health care utilization among 3080 cancer survivors. General Hospital Psychiatry. 2012 Mar 26. (Epub ahead of print).}