Conferences & podcasts, Counterfeit cancer drugs, Early detection, Cancer & Covid
5th issue
Conferences and Podcasts Early Detection
Counterfeit Cancer Drugs Cancer and Covid
Conferences & Podcasts
• Our MBC Life: A New Podcast by Metastatic Women, for Metastatic Women
“Every Monday, listeners will hear from passionate advocates, community trailblazers, and experts in the field who are changing the way MBC is seen and treated, and the champions who are making waves and pioneering representation.”
My two cents: Brought to you by SHARE, a national nonprofit that supports, educates, and empowers women affected by breast, ovarian, or metastatic breast cancer, with a special focus on medically underserved communities.
• ASCO20 Virtual Ed – free for Patients and Survivors, August 8-10, 2020
“The American Society of Clinical Oncology hosts annual meetings for doctors and researchers. Cancer patients and survivors are able to register for access to the virtual meeting presentations – at no cost. They may request a unique registration code by sending an email to patientadvocates@asco.org. Please allow up to five business days for your request to be received and reviewed.”
My two cents: Read the instructions and send an email first… don’t just go to ASCO and try to register. I noticed that registration provides access to last spring’s scientific conference in addition to the upcoming educational conference August 8-10.
Counterfeit Cancer Drugs
• Cancer Drug Counterfeiters Plead Guilty in US
“Two Ukrainian nationals pleaded guilty last week to conspiring to smuggle and distribute counterfeit versions of cancer drugs Keytruda and Abraxane into the United States. Merck, Celgene, and Gilead performed analyses and confirmed that the packaging and drugs were counterfeit.”
My two cents: If only we had a government and health care system that didn’t result in the extreme prices we pay for cancer drugs, creating such an incentive for cheats to emerge and endanger our lives. 32 of the 33 “developed countries” in the world have a universal health care system that allows them to negotiate and cap drug pricing. (Guess who the one that doesn’t is.) Sigh. Make sure your oncology clinic gets these drugs straight from the source.
Early Detection
• Non-invasive early detection of cancer four years before conventional diagnosis using a blood test
“… detects five common types of cancer in 88% of post-diagnosis patients… detects cancer in 95% of asymptomatic individuals who were later diagnosed… These results demonstrate that cancer can be non-invasively detected up to four years before current standard of care.”
My two cents: “Non-invasive” and “4 years before” are what make my ears perk up. I believe my multiple biopsies contributed to my metastasis so not having to rely on them would be much safer. And, of course, having a 4 years heads up could be a game-changer in winning against this insidious disease. I didn’t see that it would help to identify breast vs. prostate or determine sub-types, such as E+PR+HER2-, however, which would be key for it to be truly useful in replacing biopsies.
• Time to Stop Pressuring Women on Screening Mammography?
“For cancer screening to be effective, the number of early-stage tumors diagnosed should increase while the incidence of advanced tumors should decrease. The investigators identified some 75,000 women with invasive breast cancer… the use of adjuvant tamoxifen and chemotherapy increased substantially, and breast cancer mortality declined considerably. However, during this same time period, the incidence of advanced breast cancer doubled… assert that the increased incidence of advanced cancer means that screening mammography is not responsible for declining breast cancer mortality, and that all of the decline can be attributed to greater use of adjuvant therapy. “
My two cents: Mammograms to this day have never identified anything in me, even when I had rather large breast tumors. I had a preventive mastectomy, but no adjuvant therapy and, low and behold, five years later, it had metastasized everywhere. I have to wonder, if I had been given Herceptin then, if I might not have metastasized.
Cancer and Covid
• COVID-19 More Deadly Than Cancer Itself?
“During the recent months of the pandemic, cancer patients undergoing active treatment saw their risk for death increase 15-fold with a COVID-19 diagnosis… Among nearly 40,000 patients who had undergone treatment for their cancer at some point over the past year, 15% of those diagnosed with COVID-19 died from February to May 2020, as compared to 1% of those not diagnosed with COVID-19 during this same timeframe.”
My two cents: 15 x more likely to die, if I get Covid? Yikes! Now, I wish to point out that this study has not necessarily determined that covid makes cancer patients 15% more likely to die, as opposed to the possibility that cancer patients near the end might be more likely to contract covid in the first place. Either way, its not a good combination. In all these studies I’ve seen, recent treatment seems to be the deciding factor. They just assume that everyone with cancer is undergoing treatment, I guess. Then there’s this next study…
• COVID-19 in Breast Cancer Patients
“…All 4 patients who died had significant non-cancer comorbidities …suggests that the COVID-19 mortality rate in breast cancer patients depends more on comorbidities than prior radiation therapy or current anti-cancer treatment. Special attention must be paid to comorbidities when estimating the risk of severe COVID-19 in breast cancer patients.”
My two cents: So, even in cancer patients, non-cancer comorbidities may be the reason for covid severity and mortality in cancer patients. I hope that through the lifestyle changes you have made in your journey with cancer, you have lessened any other comorbidities you may have had, and increased your chance of fighting off covid.
• Low Vitamin D Linked to Increased COVID-19 Risk
“Participants positive for COVID-19 were 50% more likely to have low vs normal 25(OH)D levels.” In another study “A higher proportion of COVID-19 positive patients had low plasma 25(OH)D concentrations, about 90%, vs 85% of participants who were negative for COVID-19… The researchers also linked low plasma 25(OH)D level to an increased likelihood of hospitalization for COVID-19 infection.”
My two cents: I mentioned this in my post “Coronavirus: What I’m doing to protect myself” and I’m not going to stop banging the drum. Get your vitamin D levels checked! It matters with cancer, fighting off infections, and your immune system, in general. This is yet another analysis, a recent one at that, that suggests rectifying a Vitamin D deficiency may help protect you against both contracting covid and the severity of the disease. I think its interesting that 85% of covid negative people were also vitamin D deficient. I think they may be a ticking time bomb for chronic health problems if they aren’t already experiencing them and I worry about their susceptibility to covid.
Cancer in the News has a posting frequency of once every two weeks, usually on Wednesday.
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Nothing contained on this website nor in my blogs or books should be construed as medical advice. I am not a doctor. I am a Stage IV metastatic breast cancer thriver who is currently NEAD. I’m simply sharing my journey in the hopes it helps you to find your power and path. Please research anything I share to determine if it is a good choice for you. I believe in you! Bless you all on the path you choose.