Ear wax? Who would have thunk it?

Momine
Momine Member Posts: 7,859
edited June 2014 in ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)

So I was sitting around this morning chatting with my dh, and for some reason ear wax came up (yeah, we have been married forver ;) ). I told him that prior to dx, I had excessive and annoying ear wax for several years. Then I laughed and shrugged it off, but also plugged it into google just on a lark. It is freakin' related to  BC along with smelly arm pits (which also was a problem for me in the same time frame).

Here is the link to an article on it: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20090605/ear-wax-body-odor-breast-cancer-link

The gene is ABCC11. Have any of you come across this or know anything about it?

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Comments

  • barsco1963
    barsco1963 Member Posts: 2,119
    edited April 2013

    Momine - Your topic caught my eye! Not sure I would put a lot of faith in this, but it is definitely interesting. I had (and still have actually) very itchy ears and quite a bit of wet ear wax on a regular basis. Smelly pits at times  - often depending on what type of material I am wearing.

    There's always something isn't there?

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited April 2013

    Barsco, by itself it is not that important, but when I dug around a bit, it turns out that it is being researched (the gene variant, not the ear wax itself ;) ), because it can make your cancer resistant to certain chemos. So in case the buggers come back, it could actually be important info.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2013

    awesome...I haven't had a lotta ear was until I started wearing BTE ( behind the ear) hearing aids, with the tiniest little receiver in my ear - seems to push the wax in, clumps, ok TMI - as for underarms, this is the strangest for me, I haven't had to use any deodorant since BLM.  Don't sweat there either....the REST of me sweats - yikes, when bald during chemotherapy it dripped down from my head...go figure.

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  • Moonflwr912
    Moonflwr912 Member Posts: 6,856
    edited April 2013

    Years ago, I read about ear wax that was more wet being connected to bc. So I believe there is a connection. I think I read that almost twenty years ago when my mom was Dx with bc. Someday, they will figure out things that will be important. LOL

    Oh, and my sweat doesn't stink anymore. I think its the Arimedex. No hormones, just like before puberty. LOL

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2013

    moonflower - btw, that's my favorite flower - isn't the smell DIVINE.  I once spent more than a hour, sitting WATCHING one of the buds open...

    sweat - hey, you may be right!  I was on Arimidex for 5 1/2 years directly after surgery, chemotherapy.  Been off Arimidex for almost 3 months - still no sweat, no smell - will be interesting to see if that changes.  Of course, I'm pretty numbish under my arms, think that was from the sentinel node removals during surgery.

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