Cancer drugs harmful to brain cells

Jeffrey P Utz (who was never allowed a non-restricted medical
licensed) claims:

The alternative is death. Which would you chose?

Jeff

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First of all, your hypothesis is probably inaccurate, as usual.

What do I chose?

That people are given unbiased information upon which to base their
treatment decisions ... not the biased, pharma indutry views spread
about by Healthfrauds and quote Quackbusters unquote.


http://news.independent.co.uk/world/...cle2026798.ece

Cancer drugs harmful to brain cells
By John von Radowitz
Published: 30 November 2006

Common cancer drugs may be more harmful to the brain than the tumour
cells they are meant to destroy.

Laboratory tests have shown that dose levels typically used when
treating patients killed 70-100 per cent of neural cells but just
40-80 per cent of cancer cells. Several types of healthy brain cell
continued to die for at least six weeks after exposure.

The findings, published in the Journal of Biology, may help explain
the little understood cancer therapy side effect of "chemo brain".

Patients can suffer symptoms ranging from memory loss to seizures,
loss of vision and even dementia. Until recently, these problems were
often blamed on a patient's mental state.

However, a growing body of evidence is now leading doctors to accept
the reality of "chemo brain".

A study this year suggested that more than 82 per cent of cancer
patients may suffer some form of mental impairment. While scientists
have suspected that chemotherapy could have an impact on the central
nervous system, it was not clear how this might occur.

Mark Noble, from the University of Rochester Medical Centre in New
York, who led the research, said: "This is the first study that puts
'chemo brain' on a sound scientific footing, in terms of neurobiology
and cellular biology."

The brain is populated with several types of cells that produce or
repair normally functioning neurons. These are classified as dividing
stem cells, dividing intermediate cells, precursors and progenitors,
and non-dividing mature cells. Dr Noble's team exposed healthy brain
cells as well as cancer cells to three chemotherapy drugs, carmustine,
cisplatin and cytosine arabinoside, used to treat a wide range of
diseases, including breast cancer, leukaemia and brain tumours.Tests
showed that the drugs were toxic to all the different cell types even
at very low concentrations.

The research points to several strategies for making cancer treatments
safer, such as applying protective agents and screening to see what
cell populations are most at risk.

Common cancer drugs may be more harmful to the brain than the tumour
cells they are meant to destroy.

Laboratory tests have shown that dose levels typically used when
treating patients killed 70-100 per cent of neural cells but just
40-80 per cent of cancer cells. Several types of healthy brain cell
continued to die for at least six weeks after exposure.

The findings, published in the Journal of Biology, may help explain
the little understood cancer therapy side effect of "chemo brain".

Patients can suffer symptoms ranging from memory loss to seizures,
loss of vision and even dementia. Until recently, these problems were
often blamed on a patient's mental state.

However, a growing body of evidence is now leading doctors to accept
the reality of "chemo brain".

A study this year suggested that more than 82 per cent of cancer
patients may suffer some form of mental impairment. While scientists
have suspected that chemotherapy could have an impact on the central
nervous system, it was not clear how this might occur.

Mark Noble, from the University of Rochester Medical Centre in New
York, who led the research, said: "This is the first study that puts
'chemo brain' on a sound scientific footing, in terms of neurobiology
and cellular biology."

The brain is populated with several types of cells that produce or
repair normally functioning neurons. These are classified as dividing
stem cells, dividing intermediate cells, precursors and progenitors,
and non-dividing mature cells. Dr Noble's team exposed healthy brain
cells as well as cancer cells to three chemotherapy drugs, carmustine,
cisplatin and cytosine arabinoside, used to treat a wide range of
diseases, including breast cancer, leukaemia and brain tumours.Tests
showed that the drugs were toxic to all the different cell types even
at very low concentrations.

The research points to several strategies for making cancer treatments
safer, such as applying protective agents and screening to see what
cell populations are most at risk.


~~~~~~~~~

http://www.BreastImplantAwareness.or...WatchWatch.htm

Jeff...so well worded...I wished I had said that to my friend Karen when I
told her about my breast cancer. She asked me, "What are you going to do?"
and I replied "I am getting chemo" and I only wished I had that response
you had here "The alternative is death. Which would you chose?" I instead
told my friend " I am a wife, mother and friend to some and I will try and
save my life" This friend doesn't believe in mammograms and I haven't heard
or seen see since this was said...her last ditch was "Oh, you know what I'd
do" and this was back in April...she will not call or stop by and she lives
4 doors up the street from me
Please tell me if others have lost friends when they got cancer. I can't
understand it.
Pami

--

BetsyB

"pami" wrote in message
...
Jeff...so well worded...I wished I had said that to my friend Karen when I
told her about my breast cancer. She asked me, "What are you going to
do?" and I replied "I am getting chemo" and I only wished I had that
response you had here "The alternative is death. Which would you chose?"
I instead told my friend " I am a wife, mother and friend to some and I
will try and save my life" This friend doesn't believe in mammograms and
I haven't heard or seen see since this was said...her last ditch was "Oh,
you know what I'd do" and this was back in April...she will not call or
stop by and she lives 4 doors up the street from me
Please tell me if others have lost friends when they got cancer. I can't
understand it.
Pami


I sure have. They all seem to thing it's contageous.

pami wrote:

Please tell me if others have lost friends when they got cancer. I can't
understand it.
Pami


It's common. I believe it is usually because they don't know what to say
or how they can help, so they are embarrassed. They mostly haven't come
face to face with a life threatening disease before, and haven't thought
through how to handle it, so can't easily empathise.

It might make it easier for them to stick around if you ask them for
help with something (maybe a lift to the clinic, or even if it is
something small and non-essential). After all this is a time for
calling in favours. You need to involve them and give them a lead so
that they can relate to your attitude and feel confident they won't put
their foot in it, or be seen as part of the problem.


Tim Jackson

pami wrote:
Jeff...so well worded...I wished I had said that to my friend Karen when I
told her about my breast cancer. She asked me, "What are you going to do?"
and I replied "I am getting chemo" and I only wished I had that response
you had here "The alternative is death. Which would you chose?" I instead
told my friend " I am a wife, mother and friend to some and I will try and
save my life" This friend doesn't believe in mammograms and I haven't heard
or seen see since this was said...her last ditch was "Oh, you know what I'd
do" and this was back in April...she will not call or stop by and she lives
4 doors up the street from me
Please tell me if others have lost friends when they got cancer. I can't
understand it.
Pami

I have seen it from the other perspective...friends who stop dropping by
because they do not know how to deal with another persons medical problem.

One of my HS classmates who lives in the SF Bay area is terminally ill.
Fortunately, there are others in our class who also live there, and they
are annoying the heck out of him by offers of help, stopping off to say
hello, etc.

You say that she will not call or stop by...what are you doing to fix
that? I assume you still have a functional dialing finger and two
working feet.

I have called and she won't pick up the phone...I have wrote and even sent a
card. If I went to her door she wouldn't answer so I guess I have to do the
old thing if you love something set it free. My dialing finger and feet
work fine. Thanks for the push but I have tried... I was also very weak from
chemo....so yes I have tried but refuse to beg.

Your friend is very luck to have caring friends..continue to support him.
Pami


You say that she will not call or stop by...what are you doing to fix
that? I assume you still have a functional dialing finger and two
working feet.

"pami" wrote in message
...
Jeff...so well worded...I wished I had said that to my friend Karen when I
told her about my breast cancer. She asked me, "What are you going to
do?" and I replied "I am getting chemo" and I only wished I had that
response you had here "The alternative is death. Which would you chose?"
I instead told my friend " I am a wife, mother and friend to some and I
will try and save my life"

It's very rare, certainly when considering breast cancer, that chemo means
the choice is an option between life and death.........
Especially with early stage bc, you have to treat an awful lot of women to
benefit a very few. I'm not saying the decision to take chemo is wrong in
these circumstances, but the reason to choose the option is not because
means life or death.............

I just never wanted to burden them but I see your point.

Check out this news story
http://cancernewsnetwork.blogspot.co...nosis-and.html

"Mark Probert" wrote in message
news:3Xndh.3924$H22.1173@trndny09...
pami wrote:
Jeff...so well worded...I wished I had said that to my friend Karen when
I told her about my breast cancer. She asked me, "What are you going to
do?" and I replied "I am getting chemo" and I only wished I had that
response you had here "The alternative is death. Which would you chose?"
I instead told my friend " I am a wife, mother and friend to some and I
will try and save my life" This friend doesn't believe in mammograms and
I haven't heard or seen see since this was said...her last ditch was "Oh,
you know what I'd do" and this was back in April...she will not call or
stop by and she lives 4 doors up the street from me
Please tell me if others have lost friends when they got cancer. I can't
understand it.
Pami

I have seen it from the other perspective...friends who stop dropping by
because they do not know how to deal with another persons medical problem.

One of my HS classmates who lives in the SF Bay area is terminally ill.
Fortunately, there are others in our class who also live there, and they
are annoying the heck out of him by offers of help, stopping off to say
hello, etc.

You say that she will not call or stop by...what are you doing to fix
that? I assume you still have a functional dialing finger and two working
feet.


*Anecdotes are bull**** and prove nothing.* Mark Probert.