Has anybody else read these recent reports? There was an article in the Mail recently and Chris Woolhams from Canceractive is not promoting this. It has frightened the daylights out of me and I guess quite a few other people. I would like to see a balanced report on this from Oncologists who are advising us that chemo is the way to go. I know there are always scaremongering reports but this is quite something.
Hi Jayney,I think quite a few of us have read it and understandably it’s causing anxiety .I am hoping for some sort of response from the big cancer charities asap to help re-assure people clarify what it means .Im guessing it will take a while for individual oncologists to get to grips with the research and decide what it might mean for each individual person .
When I had my treatment ten years ago I googled a lot - I am someone who needs to have information. I read the original research for my chemo regime (FEC-T) and it was very clear that this regime was beneficial in terms of disease free survival. Now it seems that for some patients chemo can have unexpected adverse consequences. If this is happening now, it would also have been happening when that original research was done. Yet survival rates were still better - ie the number who had adverse consequences were outweighed by those who benefitted. So you are still better off having chemo, as it gives you a better chance of survival. And if this new finding leads to scientists being able to pinpoint those who could be harmed by chemo, and do something about it, then survival rates will go even higher.
trust the daily mail to throw this out. Once you’ve had bc every single word anyone says about it is analysed and sent spinning around into our mental abyss. I had mastectomy and lymph removal in may and have just started chemo last week. As 7 nodes were positive out of 26 I was terrified that everyone else in my situation seemed to be having chemo first while any stray cells I had were given the chance to float around at will. I suppose I’m stage 3 too but that has never even been mentioned to me. Only that they fully expect to clear me of cancer and the odds are in my favour. The experts we’re lucky enough to have treating us know what they’re doing and what’s best for us. I think we have to have faith in what they do and say and not allow the daily c**p to upset us. Sloppy, irresponsible journalism at its best. X