MsC1210

Hello Holly and welcome. I am sorry to hear about your friend. This is a wonderful place to get information, answers to questions and just plain support. Feel free to ask any questions you or your friend may have and someone will surely be along soon with an answer or advice! Chris

Lori I am so glad your Mom is with you. You both remain in my prayers and I hope you will enjoy many more moments like this. Chris

Hi Randy, I thought this sounded so intriguing. Carleens husband was a true fighter. I am so sad that they were not able to find the answer for him, or anyone else we have lost. Hugs to you, Chris

Bubbles Go High-tech To Fight Tumors 22 Jul 2006 Bubbles: You've bathed in them, popped them, endured bad song lyrics about them. Now, University of Michigan researchers hope to add a more sophisticated application to the list---gas bubbles used like corks to block oxygen flow to tumors, or to deliver drugs. The process of blocking blood flow to a tumor is called embolization, and using gas bubbles is a new technique in embolotherapy. What makes it so promising is that the technique allows doctors to control exactly where the bubbles are formed, so blockage of blood flow to surrounding tissue is minimal, said Joseph Bull, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at U-M. The research of Bull and collaborator Brian Fowlkes, an associate professor in the Department of Radiology in the U-M Medical School, is currently focused on the fundamental vaporization and transport topics that must first be understood in order to translate this developmental technique to the clinic. In traditional embolotherapy techniques, the so-called cork that doctors use to block the blood flow---called an emboli---is solid. For instance, it could be a blood clot or a gel of some kind. A major difficulty with these approaches is restricting the emboli to the tumor to minimize destruction of surrounding tissue, without extremely invasive procedures, Bull said. The emboli must be delivered by a catheter placed into the body at the tumor site. Gas bubbles, on the other hand, allow very precise delivery because their formation can be controlled and directed from the outside, by a focused high intensity ultrasound. This envisioned technique is actually a two-step process, Bull said. First, a stream of encapsulated superheated perfluorocarbon liquid droplets goes into the body by way of an intravenous injection. The droplets are small enough that they don't lodge in vessels. Doctors image the droplets with standard ultrasound, and once the droplets reach their destination, scientists hit them with high intensity ultrasound. The ultrasound acts like a pin popping a water balloon. After the shell pops, the perfluorocarbon expands into a gas bubble that is approximately 125 times larger in volume than the droplet. "If a bubble remained spherical its diameter would be much larger than that of the vessel," Bull said. "So it deforms into a long sausage-shaped bubble that lodges in the vessel like a cork. Two or three doses of bubbles will occlude most of the (blood) flow." Without blood flow, the tumor dies. Because the bubble is so big, it's critical to get the right vessel in order not to damage it. "How flexible the vessel is plays a very important role in where you do this," Bull said. That is the subject of a paper coming out on gas embolotherapy in the August issue of the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. ### The article is available online at: http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet ... s&gifs=Yes Bull's post doctoral fellow Tao Ye was a co-author on the paper. The technique could be very valuable in treating certain cancers, such as renal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer, causing about 1,250,000 deaths annually. However, cirrhosis of the liver makes it difficult to treat by the conventional method of removing the tumor and surrounding tissue, because so much of the liver is already damaged. This cancer has a high mortality rate. For more information on Bull, visit: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~joebull/ For more on biomedical engineering, visit: http://www.bme.umich.edu/ EDITORS: Image available at: http://www.umich.edu/news/Releases/2006 ... -large.gif Contact: Laura Bailey University of Michigan Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=47850

Hey Grace, Hope you did not melt out there! Boy it poured here on and off this afternoon but seems to be calm for the moment. Yes Brad was way too damn young to be lost to this disease and it tore me apart to be so helpless to do anything about it. But I honour his memory every time I post here on this site and I never stop looking, praying and hoping..... I am still smiling about Aaron and the boyfriend comment. He is still in the state, out in Jamaica Plain, MA with his sister for today and part of tomorrow then he will be flying back to Vancouver, BC. Great kid. We all miss him already! Ok, off to get dinner in control, Thanks again! Chris

Lori, No words really. I'm just so sorry for you all. Sending prayers of strength and peace, Love, Chris

Good Morning Grace Thank you for the info about adding pics and resizing etc. I finally figured it out! Chris

Hello Karlee I am very sorry about your mother. Please feel free to post on this site and often. We are all here to support you as well as one another. My condolences again on the loss of your mom, Chris

((((Randy)))) I do understand. Chris

Life Expectancy For Lung Cancer Patients Extended By Combined Treatment 20 Jul 2006 Combining thermal ablation with radiation therapy extends average life expectancy and decreases recurrences of tumors in patients who have early stages of inoperable lung cancer, according to researchers at Rhode Island Hospital. In a retrospective study looking at patients over seven years, the median survival rate at three years increased from 20 months after radiation alone to 42 months when thermal ablation was followed by radiation for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. The results are published in the July issue of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology. "This study shows us that even patients who are not eligible for surgery can still get very good results," says senior author Damian Dupuy, MD, director of ultrasound at Rhode Island Hospital and professor of diagnostic imaging at Brown Medical School, both in Providence, RI. "By combining thermal ablation and radiation, you have a better chance of survival than with either treatment alone." With radiation alone, overall survival rates were as follows: one year - 57 percent two years - 36 percent three years - 21 percent With thermal ablation and radiation, they were significantly higher: one year - 87 percent two years - 70 percent three years - 57 percent Surgery is the standard treatment for lung cancer. However, only one-third of patients with early stage lung cancer qualify for surgery because of other underlying medical conditions. Radiation therapy has long been used for inoperable lung cancer, and more recently, doctors have used radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation, processes that heat tumors to destroy them. For patients who cannot have surgery or radiation, the median survival is about one year. In this study, researchers looked retrospectively at 41 patients treated over seven years with thermal ablation (RFA or microwave ablation) and either standard radiation therapy or brachytherapy, a procedure in which a "seed" of radioactive material is implanted into the cancer or near it. Patients were diagnosed with Stage I or II lung cancer, meaning the lung cancer in most cases had not spread and was usually smaller than 3 centimeters, though not in all cases. While this study did not address the timing of combined treatment, brachytherapy radiation was typically administered within two hours of thermal ablation while external beam radiation was given within three to four weeks. Rhode Island Hospital may be the only hospital in the world to administer this combined treatment. The recurrence rate was much lower with the combined treatment. With radiation therapy alone, about 50 percent of tumors recur within six to 12 months. By the end of this study, 24 percent of patients treated with ablation and radiation had recurrences at an average of 44 months. While there was an increased recurrence rate in larger tumors - 33 percent recurred at an average of 34 months - the overall survival rate was the same for patients with large and small tumors. "We found that just because the tumor returns, that doesn't mean the patient lives less long," Dupuy says. The combined treatments work because they create a "synergy," the authors write. When tumors are targeted with radiation therapy, oxygen is vital to help the radiation damage DNA and kill cancerous cells. While radiation is most effective in destroying cells around the edges of the tumor, it is less effective at targeting the center of the tumor, which tends to be a low-oxygen environment. Thermal ablation, on the other hand, heats the tumor to kill cancerous cells - reaching the center of the tumor, but not necessarily killing all the cells at the edges. This can lead to a recurrence of the tumor, and the cancer may spread. Thermal ablation is delivered directly to cancerous cells with the guidance of a diagnostic image showing the tumor's location. However, if some cancerous cells have spread into small channels of the lung around the tumor, they tend to be small and not visible on a radiology scan. Thermal ablation, which sends electrical current into the tumor, may not penetrate far enough into the lung to kill these areas of cancer. When the two therapies are combined, they complement each other. Thermal ablation kills the central tumor. In exchange, radiation kills the cells on the periphery of the tumor and elsewhere in the lung that are missed by thermal ablation. While this study looked only at lung cancer, Dupuy also has pioneered the use of RFA in thyroid, kidney, adrenal and bone cancer. The combined treatment may have far-reaching effects, Dupuy says. "You might be able to treat tumors elsewhere in the body with similar results," Dupuy says. "There are a lot of opportunities for exploring the synergy of thermal ablation and radiation." ### Other authors on the paper are: C. Alexander Grieco, MD; Caroline J. Simon, MD, William W. Mayo-Smith, MD, Thomas A. DiPetrillo, MD; and Neal E. Ready, MD, all of Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School. This study was supported in part by grants from ValleyLab and Vivant Medical. Founded in 1863, Rhode Island Hospital (http://www.rhodeislandhospital.org/) is a private, not-for-profit hospital and is the largest teaching hospital of Brown Medical School. A major trauma center for southeastern New England, the hospital is dedicated to being on the cutting edge of medicine and research. Rhode Island Hospital ranks 13th among independent hospitals who receive funding from the National Institutes of Health, with research awards of more than $27 million annually. Many of its physicians are recognized as leaders in their respective fields of oncology, cardiology, orthopedics and minimally invasive surgery. The hospital's pediatrics wing, Hasbro Children's Hospital, has pioneered numerous procedures and is at the forefront of fetal surgery, orthopedics and pediatric neurosurgery. Contact: Nicole Gustin Lifespan Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... wsid=47575

Betty, I just wanted to add my Hello and Welcome to the board here. Please just let us know how we can help you and know that we will do all we possibly can. Chris

Aliboo, I am sorry you had such a bad day. It happens, the stress of taking care of someone can be so overwhelming. Perhaps you should talk to your doctor and let him/her know what is happening with YOU and they could give you an anti~anxiety medication. You need to take care of yourself right now as Tom needs you to be strong and healthy in order to help him fight this disease. Great to hear that Tom is eating better! Hopefully that will continue now. Keeping you and Tom in my thoughts and prayers, and know that you are more than welcome to come and talk to us here anytime~ Chris

LOL I am still giggling about Aaron. Oh lord imagine that, me with a 19 yr old boy toy??? lol Not~ Marshmallow and Jelly~filled????? LOL LOL.. okay well Meg has a rat named Cow and we have a cat named Rat.. Um.. so I guess I have no room to talk there, eh? lol... Good night ladies~ Hugs to all Chris

Thank you Grace! I am going to have Meg (My daughter) have a look at it and see if she can re~size the pic for me. I am so completely exhausted tonight that it was getting frustrating and I thought it best to walk away from that before I tossed the puter out the window! lol No worries about the cobwebs. We ALL get that way, me more often than not lately, lol. Thank you for the insight and hopefully sometime tomorrow I will be able to get a pic on here. Hugs! Chris

Hi Grace LOL well my daughters boyfriend was here from Canada but he left today to spend a couple of days with his sister in Boston. LOL Not sure my husband would appreciate my having a boyfriend, although I think there are days he would gladly give me away! lol lol I love the kitty! Been trying for a while to get a pic of Bradley as my avatar but no matter what I do it will not work. I gave up lol Hope all is going well with your hubby.. Hugs Chris

Oh Shirley awesome awesome awesome!! I am so glad you called about the leg pain and the doc was not too concerned. I am so happy the seeding is over and that he was feeling up to making the short walk to the car. Great signs! I had you on my mind all day today and was hoping things went well. I never had to have a crown so I cannot help you much from first hand experience. A friend of mine had several done and she never complained so I presume that there is no big ordeal involved there. Hoping not anyway! I will pray to the tooth fairy for you though! lol Ok, I am beat and since Aaron is back in Boston with his sister and my house is regaining something that resembles normal, I am going to crash ! Thanks for the super update and I will catch up to you soon~ Hugs Chris

Hi Deb and welcome back All of your thoughts, feelings and emotions are normal. Just remember we are all here to lend you whatever support we can. Keep us posted and keep up that good attitude. It truly does help to be positive! Chris

Aliboo I am so glad to hear that Tom is doing some better. As Darci said (and I love this analogy!) No extra credit for pain!! He should let the dr know if the pain gets bad again as there are so many options for that. Please keep us posted and you and Tom remain in my prayers Chris

Hello Jenn and welcome I am so very sorry to hear about your sister. I am very glad you have found this site and posted. There are so many wonderful people on here that will be along to offer advice and input. We are here for you anytime. Lean on us as you need to. Sending you prayers for strength, Chris

I am so sorry for your loss. My sympathies and condolences to you and your family. Chris

Hello Jay, Sounds like things are moving along for you and mom now. One thing that you will want to do is get a note book or a small organizer. Write down any and all questions you or Mom have so you will not forget them once you get to the doctor. It will also be good to have as the doctors are giving you information etc. Ask for copies of any and all test results, records etc so you will have them if and when you decide on 2nd opinions. Have mom drink plenty of fluids before and during the chemo treatments. You are incredible, I am just so impressed by the way you are handling this. It is not an easy journey but your helpful attitude and positiveness is just great to see. Continue to be positive, as it will help so much! And keep us posted as we are all here for you! Sending hugs and love and prayers to both you and your mom Chris

Peggy, What a wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing this. I wish you all the best with this project. Chris

Karen Prayers for a safe trip. I am very glad you are going to be with your dad. That is YOUR right! Know we are all thinking of you. Chris

Karen I agree. Go be with your dad. Sending prayers for peace and strength Chris

Hey Shirley You know you have my prayers for everything, but a couple of extra for the seeding. I will be anxious to hear how that goes. I think the call to the dr is in order. I did read the replies in the other thread and I agree. It COULD be something, but I am hoping and praying it is nothing. All the drugs he has taken and been given are bound to manifest themselves somehow along the way. I am praying that the heat and humidity added to that is what he is experiencing but by all means I do agree the Dr needs to know what is going on. I have had only one root canal in my life and like you, I was scared out of my mind! All the horror stories were enough to almost make me want to just live with the toothache. But, other than that stinging shot of novocaine, the pain was non~existant. Sometimes well meaning people just make it so much worse!!!! We did not get a single drop of rain or thunder or lightning last night. It was just more hot and humid but I rather like it. Guess I am in the minority there! lol I am hearing it is supposed to get better now, so hopefully for all those people that are miserable with this, it will. Meg is doing ok now. Not 100% but the meds seemed to help some. Have to see what today brings. Cross your fingers that we can maybe get out and do something!!! Ok, tons of prayers for the seeding and we will be anxiously awaiting your updates!! Call if you need me, I will be around either home or my cell.... Hugs and prayers!!!! Chris