Sleep Apnea Tied to Increased Cancer Risk

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Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited June 2014 in Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results

I'm currently being treated for sleep apnea diagnosed 6 months ago and trying to get used to the different masks that come with the CPAP machine.  When finally dx, I had the gut feeling that maybe, just maybe, correcting the apnea would go a very long way in preventing recurrence. Crossing fingers

"Two new studies have found that people with sleep apnea, a common disorder that causes snoring, fatigue and dangerous pauses in breathing at night, have a higher risk of cancer. The new research marks the first time that sleep apnea has been linked to cancer in humans. 

In one of the new studies, researchers in Spain followed thousands of patients at sleep clinics and found that those with the most severe forms of sleep apnea had a 65 percent greater risk of developing cancer of any kind.

The second study, of about 1,500 government workers in Wisconsin, showed that those with the most breathing abnormalities at night had five times the rate of dying from cancer as people without the sleep disorder. Both research teams only looked at cancer diagnoses and outcomes in general, without focusing on any specific type of cancer.

The researchers found that the more severe a person's breathing problems at night, the greater the likelihood of dying from cancer. People with moderate apnea were found to die of cancer at a rate double that of people without disordered breathing at night, while those in the severe category died at a rate 4.8 times that of those without the sleep disorder'"

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/sleep-apnea-tied-to-increased-cancer-risk/

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  • jenrio
    jenrio Member Posts: 558
    edited June 2012

    Interesting study.  

    Sleep apnea is correlated with obesity and melatonin, which in turn is correlated with diabetes and breast cancer.   It's hard to tease out which is cause which is effect.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2012

    Hi Jen, it's the lack of oxygen (hypoxemia or oxygen depletion) in sleep apnea that appears to be the culprit. My sleep study concluded that I stop breathing 70 times per hour....

    "Scientist speculate that depriving mice of oxygen may cause their bodies to develop more blood vessels to compensate, an effect that could act as a kind of fertilizer for cancer tissue and cause tumors to grow and spread more quickly"

    Of course, no sleep = a lot of health problems and I'm sure melatonin plays a role in all of it. That's why I've started taking it before bed (when I think about it...often times forget, but religiously take my cal/mag/K2. Magnesium is a miracle worker as far as I can tell)

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  • jenrio
    jenrio Member Posts: 558
    edited June 2012

    I c.  interesting.   what is K2?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2012

    K2 = menaquinone7, mine is extracted from natto bean. Vit K also fills the needs for coagulation, can be found in cheese, veges which I neglect as I'm a fruit person....  I learned on these boards that I had been taking calcium for years and years but barely absorbing it although I never never take it without magnesium (calcium also needs magnesium for absorption) and had a superb bone density scan.

    "Dietary Intake of Menaquinone Is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: The Rotterdam Study"

    http://jn.nutrition.org/content/134/11/3100.full 

    In clinical trial for bone loss and arteriosclerosis (huge family history)

    http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00642551

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited June 2012

    Very interesting. I recently had a sleep study and was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea due to stopping breathing 45 times per hour. The mask is definitely taking some getting used to. I have no idea what came first...the apnea or the cancer. My snoring definitely increased after BMX and weight gain.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2012
    Hi Ginger ! glad to find a sister to commiserate with ! No kidding about the mask...hate to say it but when I went for my sleep study, the image of Hannibal Lekter came to mind, I became claustrophobic and had the worse nightmare Frown  Because I have very dry eyes, all the stupid masks I tried have made it worse.  So, finally today, I went to another lab with better techs and came away with the nasal pillow system.  I now know I can adjust humidity, will be using a nose spray before retiring and hopefully will be having sweet dreams tonight !  Hope you are doing better than I am....
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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited June 2012

    I have dry eye syndrome too and it feels like it is getting worse. What is the nasal pillow system? I am currently wearing a mask that covers nose and mouth but I am noticing some air seeping out from the mouth area when I change head positions.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2012

    Ginger, we must be twins  Lol

    brrrrr that mask that covers nose and mouth... I know, very rigid, not flexible at all, the leaks kept waking me up Frown

    Did you buy the machine ?  If so, you should be able to exchange masks no problem until you find one that fits you perfectly. The 'nasal' mask I got is this one:

    http://www.cpapmachinescanada.com/cpap-masks-resmed-swift-lt-for-her.php

    I really hope this works, as it's my last resort !  It should fit much better cause it's made for us women  Innocent

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited June 2012

    Maud- CPAP twins, ha! I could not get that link to open. My insurance covered the machine so I am the proud owner. I also have a nasal mask but have not used it as I tend to be a mouth breather sometimes. But maybe I will try it. I get about 3 or 4 hours of ok sleep but after that I just want to rip that mask off my face. The nights seem soooo long!

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  • camillegal
    camillegal Member Posts: 16,882
    edited June 2012

    Wow how interesting.  I always thought that happened to more men than women--but what do I know---I'm sorry u have another problem to deal with.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2012

    Hello CPAP twin, lol ! shucks about the link, maybe try it again, I edited my post and fixed it.  You know... I had the same darn problem, I'm a mouth breather too ! First ever mask was a nasal one and I was waking up gaging and choquing, I swear.  That's why they tried all those other masks, but a real smart tech told me about the chin restraints, have you heard about that one ? really sexy stuff if I may say so myself....Kiss

    http://www.cpapmachinescanada.com/cpap-chin-restraints.php

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited June 2012

    Haha! I got one of the chin straps with the nasal mask at my sleep study. It looks ridiculous but I may give it a try tonight. I will try the link again.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2012

    Re wanting to rip off your mask, I'm so good at it that I do it without waking up Lol

    The bright tech today adjusted something to do about expiration (breathing out) rate....? sorry, can't remember the medical term.  Tell your tech about it, I felt the same, like I just could not breathe, was suffocating and they adjusted this setting on my chip.  Have you raised your humidity setting, mine is up to 4.5 goes to 6 and you can adjust that yourself with the button on the machine.  It has helped somewhat

    Let me know how your set up worked, see you in the mornin' CPAP twin Wink

    Camillegal, I know, I told them I did not fit the profile ! 

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited June 2012

    I will check out my levels tonight. I think it is at 8 but I have a button that starts it out more slowly and works up to full pressure.



    Nighty-night!

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited June 2012

    Maud- my level is 8 but starts out at 4. I did pretty well with nasal mask and chin strap last night so I will try it again tonight. Hope you slept well!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2012
    Hey Ginger, glad you did well !! no small feat little twin sister ;)  I took a break last night Embarassed gotta clean out the tube and water reservoir, all fresh to go with the same gear as you, hoping to do as well as you did !  Am seeing the respirologist next week with my last print out, a real embarrassment, I barely kept the mask on for an hour a night....he scheduled me for another sleep study in December, reallllly looking forward to that Cry
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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited June 2012

    Hmmm...no one has mentioned a follow up appt or checking the data on my machine. May have to ask if they plan to do that. Definitely not looking forward to a sleep study with all those wires

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    Hi Ginger, getting ready for the gear soon Frown yes, you should enquire about follow-up, you mean nobody is reading your chip ?  I have to tell them to spare me...they want to follow up on a monthly basis, sometimes I have to go back within two weeks, takes a lot of tweaking before we can be made comfortable, you know...

    Sweet dreams ;) 

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited July 2012

    No one has even mentioned reading my chip. Sweet dreams!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    Hi Ginger, did not do so well last night, I vaguely remember tearing the mask off - don't know how long I was able to tolerate it.  Looks like I've fallen into a pattern Frown  Hopefully, the respirologist will have some idea on how to tweak the machine so that I can do this....will keep trying.....  One tech told me that I had central apnea and because of this, it would take as long as 6 months to get used to the whole thing - it's been over 6 months now Cry  I so want this to work because I firmly believe that it will help us somehow in preventing a recurrence

    Have a beautiful day ! 

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited July 2012

    Sorry to hear that. I packed up my machine and lugged it to stay at my mom's ladt night. I did ok with nasal mask and chin strap but it leaves big grooves in my face when I wake up. Not sure if that is typical or I am wearing it too tight. I never take the mask off before 5 am. I just have disturbed sleep at this point but do not wake up feeling like I waged a war. Hope you get it figured out.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    Really glad to hear you're doing well Ginger !  I'm being encouraged to persist and told that this could be life changing Tongue out

    I had leaking so maybe mine is not tight enough, no grooves showing Lol  

    Keep me posted on your follow-ups and readings Wink  

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  • jenrio
    jenrio Member Posts: 558
    edited July 2012
    I have had lots of sleep issues too.   Thanks Maud for sharing.   I'll try to fix the melatonin by less lighting at night and eating more cherries Laughing
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    cherries, yummie, they're good for pain too.  Insomnia is HORRIBLE ! the doc told me my insomnia found in a sleep study 20 + years ago is a separate problem, WTH ???

    Have you had a sleep study done Jen ?  Sleep issues need to be resolved especially with our BC 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012
    Knock knock Ginger, I meant to ask you, what's your pressure at ?  Mine is set at 11 but the doc wants me at 15 Frown
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  • jenrio
    jenrio Member Posts: 558
    edited July 2012

    I did the sleep study.   I think they didn't find anything.   But I do have bad sleep habit of getting up mid night to go online, etc...  probably messed up my melatonin.

    Ambien works for me too.   But cherries are better. 

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited July 2012

    Hi maud, my pressure is at 8 but I push a button and it starts out at 4 and builds up gradually. I am getting ready for night 3 with nasal mask and chin strap.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    Thanks Ginger, hope you had a restful sleep, ahhhhhh, that will be the day for me !!!

    Wonder if my pressure is too high....again took the mask off last night.....hope the doc knows what he's doing Yell seeing him on Thursday - because right now, this whole thing is defeating the purpose....I usually pass out in a minute when I go to bed, now with the mask on, it takes me aaaaages to fall asleep

    Jen, getting up in middle of the night to surf....now, that's a bad habit, maybe double up on the cherries,  Lol 

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  • Ginger48
    Ginger48 Member Posts: 1,978
    edited July 2012

    Sorry you are not getting more relief. I won't let myself take the mask off till the sun is coming up. Just force myself to reposition and go back to sleep.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2012

    Ginger, I need to force myself - the things is, I barely realize I'm taking it off.  It's become a bad habit like Jen here with surfing Tongue out

    Will see how it goes tonight.  The new nasal mask is a real cadillac, Lol  At last, no problem there, it must be the pressure or something else....

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