A 5 Step Guide

1. Don’t get it!

Cancer happens when DNA gets damaged and cannot repair itself. So, protect your DNA. Everyone knows:

• Don’t smoke.
• Do not drink more than 2 Alcoholic drinks per day.
• Don’t eat more than 2 portions of red meat a day.
• Don’t go in the sun for too long without sunblock.

• Maintain a healthy weight. What wait, Weight.?.. Pardon the pun, but yes obesity increases the risk for breast, womb, bowel cancer, just to name a few. Boring. But it’s a lot less boring than surgery or chemotherapy.

Unfair you say! People can have faulty genes. Absolutely they can. Some people have mutations that mean they are not so good at repairing their DNA. Everyone knows about Angelina Jolie and the BRACA gene for breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. Not their fault. These people have to work even harder to avoid Cancer. That means all of the above and sometimes screening at a younger age. Angelina even removed her ovaries and breasts as a preventative measure.

Not getting it also means not catching it. Yes, you heard right, there are viruses which cause cancer. Most famously, some strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer. They can also cause mouth and rectal cancers. These viruses are sexually transmitted. That’s why Michael Douglas blamed his throat cancer on too much Cunnilingus. But, there is a vaccine. This is the HPV vaccine or Giardasil that we keep asking you to give to your adolescent children BEFORE they become sexually active. HPV vaccination programs abroad have been so successful that they have reduced the rate of cervical cancer. To learn more see my separate article on this : https://amesmedicalservices.com/is-cancer-catching/

2. If you must get it, find it early. 

This means screening. Screening is when we look for a disease before it causes symptoms. Since you have no symptoms and looking for something when you feel well seems irrelevant,  we sometimes have a tough job to convince you to do unpleasant things like pap smears, colonoscopies and mammograms. Especially when you have to pay for them. You would much rather spend the money on something fun… like damaging your DNA by drinking rum and coke, in the sun, on the road on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. I get it. I like doing that too!

However, if we find your bowel cancer early your chance of survival at Stage 1 is 90%
If you wait until you present with symptoms, and we find you have stage 4 this drops to 25%.

If we do a pap smear and find precancerous cells, we can remove them in an in-office procedure without anaesthetic and you have 100% chance of survival (from cervical cancer).

Even if we find stage 1 cervical cancer your 5-year survival rate is still nearly 95%. However, if you don’t have regular pap smears and you wait to get symptoms and end up with stage 4 cervical cancer then your five-year survival rate is only 15%.

By the way, with the HPV vaccine, some counties have been able to stop doing pap smears and they just send you a self-swab that you swab yourself in the privacy of your own bathroom to make sure you don’t have HPV.

The five-year survival rate for Stage 1 Breast Cancer is 100%. Stage 4: 25%. Worth a bit of an uncomfortable squeeze then?

What is NOT a screening test? Tumour Markers. DO NOT do Tumour marker blood tests for screening. To find out why, check out our Instagram video “Run if your doctor orders tumour markers” It is also available to watch below.

3. If you get it, fight it. Don’t stick your head in the sand.

The list of “red flag symptoms” is not exclusive but includes:

• Lumps- anywhere, any size.
• A persistent change in bowel habit for more than 3 weeks
• An abnormal discharge or vaginal bleeding.
• If you have suddenly started losing the weight you haven’t been able to shift for decades and you do not know why then please don’t celebrate. Be alarmed. See your doctor.
• An unexplained cough lasting more than 3 weeks
• If you find a new mole- especially if it is rapidly growing or asymmetrical or bleeding. See a dermatologist.
• Blood in the urine
• Night sweats when you are not the right age or sex for the Perimenopause
• Extreme tiredness that is not due to feting.

Please get checked these checked out early. The earlier you find cancer the better your chance of survival will be.

4. Consider your Treatment options.

• Listen to your Doctor carefully. Consider your treatment options, whether this be surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Sometimes, you may decide that you do not wish conventional treatment. Or, you may decide with your doctor that if your cancer is so advanced that you rather have palliative treatment and prioritise your time with family and loved ones. A discussion about end of life care is important here.
• Plan for the future. This includes financial, estate and fertility planning.
• Preserve your fertility, if relevant. Sometimes cancer treatment can have an impact on fertility so it is important to address this with your doctor early. Sometimes sperm or egg banking or even embryo freezing is recommended.
• Try to stay positive. Studies show that having a positive attitude can lead to a better quality of life for people with cancer. This also means taking time to do things you love, with people you love.
• Mindfulness, Yoga, exercise, hobbies.
• If you are a spiritual person, nurture this.
• Spend time in nature.

5. Stay in Remission. 

What? Isn’t that the Doctor’s job? Well believe it or not, you do have a part to play too. We need your help.

• Continue to protect your DNA – so no smoking or excess alcohol. Maintain a healthy weight. Exercise, protect your skin. All of these things improve your chances of staying in remission.
• Be on the lookout for red-flags. Not just red flags of the Cancer you were diagnosed with but red flags for ANY cancer as above.
• Get help with any anxiety or depression. 70% of people experience emotional distress after their cancer treatment. They can feel guilty about this because they feel they should be grateful to be lucky. But Cancer is traumatic so be kind to yourself! Try to enjoy the life you have!