LMS ~ Slaying the Dragon!!!!

The Wisdom of  Some  Survivors 🙂

“Be seen at a cancer center that specializes in sarcomas. Educate and empower yourself    to be a full partner in the development of a treatment plan. Engage and seek the support  of others who are fighting similar battles.” – Alan, leiomyosarcoma survivor

“Trust your instincts and speak up.  Ask lots of questions!  Also find the doctor you feel comfortable with who is familiar with your disease. You can get through this.  Take it a  day at a time. Plan little things to look forward to. It’s key to have things to live for and work towards. Accept some days are bad and some are good and that’s okay. Surround yourself with people who support you — not ones that bring you down.  And don’t ever underestimate hope!” – Rachel, Ewing’s sarcoma survivor

“This can be a long scary road, but the more you know and the more support you have    the brighter and less scary the road gets.” – David, osteosarcoma survivor

“If you are with someone or around people who do not support you or help you in your time of need, get rid of those people. Staying happy, laughing and whole as much as you can goes so far in recovery.” – Christina, synovial sarcoma survivor

In places like Rochester New York … which also is a sarcoma pocket because of tributaries off the Great Lakes and Brenda Lee’s county of Strafford /Rochester N.H. with the highest rates of cancer in the United States …. caused by the abandoned Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant …. sarcoma’s are at its highest.

 Ashleigh Pugh-Clarke, Oncology Nursing, answered on behalf of Honor Society of Nursing (STTI) states:

While the exact cause of adult soft tissue sarcoma is not known, some genetic alterations, environmental,  and other factors have been identified as possible causes. Because of the large variety of sarcomas that exist,  some factors may contribute  to the cause of specific types of sarcoma (and not all types). For example: Paget’s disease has been linked to osteosarcoma; and Ollier’s disease may develop into chondrosarcoma.

Environmental risk factors related to sarcomas include pollutants, smoking, chemicals, infectious disease and radiation. Some sarcomas have been related to occupational exposures which include:
◦Cholorophenoles
◦Copper exposure
◦Androgenic-anabolic steroids
◦Herbicides
◦Arsenic
◦Dioxins
◦Ionizing radiation
◦Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Exposure in the workplace to higher concentrations of certain chemicals  (i.e. radon or asbestos),  metals  and ionizing radiation provides a greater risk. With truck drivers and machinist at extreme risk. Chance increase substantially with prolonged exposure, more intense exposure, and higher concentrations of pollutants.

Some hereditary conditions have been identified as influencing factors as well.             These include:
◦Familial gastrointestinal stromal tumors syndrome (GIST)
◦Hereditary leiomyomatosis & renal cell syndrome
◦Li-Fraumeni syndrome
◦Von Recklinghausen disease
◦Hereditary retinoblastoma (Rb)
◦Werner syndrome
◦Bloom syndrome

It is important to note that immune suppression with conditions such as the Epstein Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8), and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has also been linked to some sarcomas.

In general, all cancer is caused by a sequence of genetic alterations that influence the loss of tumor-suppressor gene (TSG) function. Which will also results in damage to cell growth regulation. This applies to sarcoma as well as two very common genes that are often found to be altered in sarcomas are the p53 gene and the retinoblastoma (Rb) gene.

Finally, factors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, and a diet high in saturated fat and low in fiber has the potential to influence one’s overall risk of cancer.

https://www.sharecare.com/…/what-causes-adult-soft-tissue

Not only is estrogen produced internally, it’s also produced in reaction to chemicals and other substances in our food. When it is not broken down … adequately,  higher levels of estrogen build up.  This is the truth …  for both men and women, although the effects are more easily recognized in men.  Alcoholic  men  with  impaired  liver  function develop a condition called gynecomastia, with estrogenic characteristics including enlarged breasts, loss of male pubic hair and eunuch-like features.

In like manner … in that the estrogen dominance syndrome can be evoked in women by  environmental toxins,  too much alcohol,  drugs or all of which limit the liver’s capacity to cleanse the blood of estrogen. It has been found…. that circulating estrogen levels increase significantly in women who drink.  In one study, blood and urine estrogen levels increased up to 32 % in  women who drank just two drinks a day.  Consequently,  breast cancer risks are also higher for women drinkers. Thereby, Not surprisingly, also osteoporosis rates are lower. – See more at:  http://drhoffman.com/article/estrogen-dominance-syndrome-2/

Estrogen dominance is a term coined by Dr.John Lee in his first book on natural progesterone. It describes a condition where a woman can have deficient, normal or excessive estrogen, but has little or no progesterone to balance its effects in the body. Even a woman with low estrogen levels can have estrogen dominance symptoms if she doesn ‘t have any progesterone.ESTROGEN DOMINANCE SYMPTOMSThe symptoms and conditions associated with estrogen dominance are: Acceleration of the aging process Allergies, including asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion Autoimmune disorders such as lupus erythematosis and thyroiditis, and possibly Sjoegren’s disease Breast cancer Breast tenderness Cervical dysplasia Cold hands and feet as a symptom of thyroid dysfunction Copper excess Decreased sex drive Depression with anxiety or agitation Dry eyes Early onset of menstruation Endometrial (uterine) cancer Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips and thighs Fatigue Fibrocystic breasts Foggy thinking Gallbladder disease Hair Loss Headaches Hypoglycemia Increased blood clotting (increasing risk of strokes) Infertility Irregular menstrual periods Irritability Insomnia Magnesium deficiency Memory loss Mood swings Osteoporosis Polycystic ovaries Premenopausal bone loss PMS Prostate cancer (men only) Sluggish metabolism Thyroid dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism Uterine cancer Uterine fibroids Water retention, bloating Zinc deficiency THE CAUSES OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE Strictly speaking, it’s possible that we are all — men, women and children — suffering a little from estrogen dominance, because there is so much of it in our environment. You would have to virtually live in a bubble to escape the excess estrogens we’re exposed to  through pesticides,  plastics,  industrial waste products, car exhaust, in our meat, soaps and much of the carpeting, furniture and paneling that we live with indoors every day.  You may have on-and-off sinus problems, headaches, dry eyes, asthma or cold hands and feet for example, and not knowing  your exposure to xenohormones.  Over time the exposure  will cause more chronic problems such as arthritis and premenopause symptoms, and may be a direct or indirect cause of cancer.

I would also like to state in our Facebook group: Laura Dohrman elected out our group …. telling me with Leiomyosarcoma that the best approach is Memorial ~ Kettering Sloan in NYC …. MD Anderson in Houston …. Dana Farber in Boston.   She had surgery, then radiation. The Natural Alternative does not work for this type of sarcoma if you don’t go to a cancer center …. your chances are reduced dramatically.  Nobody knows any thing about this type of cancer. Nobody knows about it in the health field.   And that the fact I     was Misdiagnosed for 9 months speaks volumes of the knowledge of this type of cancer.  Dr. John Healey at Sloan Kettering is an amazing doctor…. though for Leiomyosarcoma probably the best in the world…. And  I Thank God I found him!!!!