Trying to find a common cause. Please help!

I think reading "The Emperor of all Maladies: A Biography of Cancer" was a turning point for me because I realized that cancer had been around for centuries and I was just lucky enough to live in a time where there were actually treatments and solutions to my type of cancer. After that, I just stopped wondering "why me" with no genetic predisposition, did all the right things---- the question then became, well, why not me? What would make me so special that I could not get cancer. Then it just made sense to get on with the living... everyone gets something-- people will get all sorts of illnesses in their lives-- through no fault of their own in many cases.... and it could make me crazy trying to figure out why--better and smarter minds than mine are working on that. In the 6 years since I was dx, amazing things have happened-- genetic things, treatments that are even more focused... it does keep getting better.

Cancer is a wide range of diseases, so preventing it will have to be a very wide ranging approach-just think about the over 20 different types of breast cancer-each with its own biology, its own solutions--- it is an interesting puzzle and there are lots of people working to solve it.....

I actually found my most peace when I stopped asking why.....

I, too, found The Emperor of All Maladies to be a very eye-opening book - and I read it long before being dx. I strongly recommend it.

I've never asked 'why me?' but I do wonder why - what set off the cascade of processes that culminated in this? I know I'll never know but it's a question that intrigues me and I don't think there's any reason not to ponder it from time to time. It's certainly better than letting the mind stray to some of darker places it's tempted to explore some days.

Well said Akitagirl and Amen!!!

Mistakes happen when cells divide all the time. The problem is when the mistakes don't include a way to stop the cell line or if you body isn't able to correct the mistake.

From what I have learned over the past year excess stress causes liver dysfunction as far as insulin regulation, general metabolism and detoxification of our hormones and other toxins we come across. Nutritional deficiencies can occur as well, starting with perhaps food choices, but also from antibiotics and not enough probiotics in our gut --- these deficiencies start to compound. Maybe you don't eat much red meat and are a big vegetarian and fitness buff, then you have depleted your zinc stores and your copper levels go up and lowered zinc impairs digestive enzyme production by the pancreas so you aren't able to digest all the food you are eating as well.

Then there is the range of detoxification abilities which varies somewhat from person to person. Some folks can't handle coffee and alcohol well and this overwhelms one of their liver's detoxification pathways when they try to keep up with the crowd... or use the substances to cope with life's stresses. Or you are trying to eat well but not quite enough leafy greens and besides soil depletion and modern farming methods result in foods with reduced magnesium levels -- and your poor liver doesn't have the building blocks to neutralize and metabolize properly.

The greatest risk factors for developing are being a woman and growing older -- but you can see how the longer you live the more life accumulates and the less able your body is to be manage all the stresses we throw at it.

I've been working with a naturopathic oncologist, doctor of Oriental Medicine (acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine) and an energetic healer in parallel to my conventional cancer treatment. The additional information I have gained, as well as the additional treatment of my cancer and support of my body has been invaluable during this difficult period. There are additional support folks you can add to your team -- and if you cancer team isn't agreeable to this then you might want to shop around for more adaptive docs as it is your body. Regular oncology treatment is fairly one dimensional in its approach -- only looking at treating the cancer but not looking correcting the conditions that allowed it to develop in your body.

I'm happy to chat more if you want to send me a private message.

Hugs,

Ann

There is no rhyme or reason to a BC dx............whatever you do......you can't prevent it.

I'm over 6 years out from dx and I've seen the whole gambut of people dx..........

There's those who eat only fruit , veg, no meat, no dairy etc etc but they still succumb to this horrid disease..........so don't beat yourself up about it.

I know when you're first dx you look for a reason...........for me it was stress......my Dad died 6 months before..............but we all have different reasons........

Please don't google too much, or look at statistics etc........they're not you...........I was given a poor prognosis but I'm still here enjoying life...........

You lost me at "For example, we've got a generation of gutless & weak feminine androgonous so-called males, the kind of mama's boys who hung onto teacher's hemlines back in school, the type who snitch, kiss-up and brown-nose their way up the ladder."

The sexism is offensive.

There isn't a "common cause" for cancer because there isn't a common cancer - cancer is multiple diseases grouped under the umbrella we call "cancer" - I don't like the "blame the victim" model either nor do I understand the anger towards the opposite sex.

Sorry but anyone who brings up chemtrails in anything more than a tongue in cheek manner is not someone I can take seriously. Chemtrail is NOT a common term outside of conspiracy theorists. And the comments about "androgynous so-called males"? No words that have not already been said. I am a Canadian woman but am going to borrow that lovely saying from my sisters much further South: "bless your heart".

That is even too kind for someone expressing such sexist attitudes

Breast cancer - and other cancers - predates airplanes, trains, cars, hormonal birth control, vaccines, hormone-injected meat, fluoridated water, plastics, x-Ray machines, and on and on. The biggest risk factors are being a woman and getting older. Period. 90% of breast cancers are sporadic, meaning there is no known genetic or hereditary cause. Certain things are supposed to increase risk, certain things to decrease risk, but nothing can eliminate risk. I've know lifelong vegans to get breast or other cancers, and decades of pack a day smokers and heavy drinkers to die cancer-free.

I just downloaded The Emperor of All Maladies. It looks very interesting. As for me, I suspect its genetic. I would hazard a guess at CDH1 given my grandma and aunt died from cancers in their digestive systems in their 80s but who knows. I am not going to lose sleep (which I don't have anyway LOL) over it. Finding my ILC so early was a fluke so I feel fortunate and am not too concerned about why. If it should return I will worry about it then. For now I am just trying to eat reasonably healthy, exercise more and worry over my Patriots that are currently in a close game with the Jets.

Brettsie, this could very well be my chemo brain but I am not understanding where you are seeing the dissonance here. Your inclusion of the definition of the word follows the theme in your posts...condescension. Your posts have a scolding tone as if we are all stupid or not 'getting it'. I think the unhealthy attitudes and behaviours are when someone refuses to be open to anything that might be considered "conventional". It is like me stubbing my toe and blaming Obama.

BTW, men get breast cancer...even the sissys.

Your husband, male friends, and male relatives sound delightful if they believe there is a certain way that a "man" must be, and take delight in pointing out out men (and boys) who do not fit that mold. I feel for their sons, nephews, and so on who will grow up with those attitudes. I am fortunate to live amongst men who are far more diverse, open-minded, and secure enough in their sense of self not to feel a need to attack the individuality or personhood of other men or boys.

No cognitive dissonance here. I also do not see how your use of the term applies to the posts here. You will note that I actually do not have cancer. I am (was) however at high risk for breast cancer due to genetics. What I am against is victim blaming and conspiracy theorists coming on here to raise false alarms.

As for the chemtrails, please provide me minutes and details of those alleged meetings. The common term for those trail clouds is contrails (condensation trails), not chemtrails, so I would want to actually see discussions of CHEMtrails, and not just discussions on high air traffic, noise pollution from air traffic, visual pollution by contrails, and the like.

The idea that the government is secretly releasing other substances into the environment through chemtrails is indeed nothing BUT conspiracy theory. I challenge you to provide any non-conspiracy theorist sources for otherwise.Maybe you should do your own due diligence before attacking others?

Hello ladies:

Lets try to stick to the original topic of this thread which was sunny8 wondering why she got BC and trying to see if there are common causes among people with BC. As a recent inductee to the club ( member since May 2014), I too wondered why with no family history, life long non-smoker, I got BC. I think it is normal to wonder at first. So like many people do, I researched everything I could find. The only thing I found that pertained to me was studies finding people with M.S are more likely to get cancer, especially breast cancer. The major study was done in England. I don't know if this finding applies to all autoimmune diseases, or just MS. Makes since if your immune system is already battling another illness, you may be more likely to develop cancer. However, no one knows for sure. Even if medical science could tell us each one why we got breast cancer, we would still have it.

We should all support each other in our fight against cancer. Isn't that why we visit these sites in the first place?

Holiday hugs to all.🐱

Caryn, I found Bathsheba's Breast to be a very interesting read.  I'll be interested to hear what you think of it.