Its been a year since my last CT scan so I was due for one, arrived at the hospital early on Sunday morning (they are so busy they need to keep the scanner working 24 hours a day) waited for half an hour and then was taken by a very tall chinese doctor with an umbrella out to a mobile unit (I've never had this procedure done in a mobile unit before) it was raining and in spite of the umbrella we still got very wet, then what seemed like an age before they finally got the needle in and that familiar taste of metal and the feeling of wanting to pee came over me the actual scan only takes 10 mins at the most but its all the other stuff that takes so long. By the time we got home I was feeling sick and headachy so took some codeine and later due to that not working a sumatriptan. Now its back to the waiting game and my follow up appointment on the 4th of October.
I've done quite a lot of research on all things cancer and what you can do to help yourself but I'm feeling a bit out on a limb at the moment so decided to give Penny Brohn Centre a call and book up on a free Living Well Course, the centre is in Bristol and basically I would like to find out if I'm doing the right things ie: juicing and not eating dairy or meat and to speak with someone whose a proper trained nutritionist find out if I'm lacking in anything would be good apart from all of that its free and you stay at the centre overnight which is a beautiful old building on the outskirts of the city, I feel the need to meet up with others who are on a similar journey and more importantly who are actively helping themselves to thrive and survive.
Its been really hard recently as 3 of the women from the chat group on FB have died two of which share the same name 'Sarah', I used to chat to both of these lovely ladies outside of the FB group and can't quite believe that they are gone, its knocked the wind out of me and I feel the need to distance myself further from all things breast cancer, I suppose what I'm saying is that trying to live with these constant deaths and upsets aren't really helping me stay positive. The women that have passed away I knew through the FB chat group and the BCC forum and as far as I know they didn't really try going down the holistic approach, I'm still juicing although not daily as I can't afford it, I do it 3 times a week and drink predominately green organic juice, also as far as I am aware I am the only one who goes to a spiritual healer and the bottom line is I'm the only one doing very well on this regime, obviously I do take Tamoxifen and have Herceptin but I also try all the alternatives when I can afford it and will actively follow the advice given by healers and practitioners. Some of the alternatives are free. I wish the others would give them a go, but you can't tell someone what to believe in, they have to find it for themselves. All I can do is pray for those still fighting and send some absent healing with love and light.
Showing posts with label light. Show all posts
Showing posts with label light. Show all posts
Monday, 9 September 2013
Monday, 24 June 2013
Whole Body Photodynamic Therapy.....Amazing Results......
Found this post on the BCC forum informing of a new therapy called Photodynamic (PDT) the peice is so well written and describes exactly what the treatment is, does and more importantly how it works. and believe this would benefit anyone faced with advanced stage IV cancer who has given up hope I'm also posting this here so that I can find it again if I need to. It seems like a lot to read but its so worth it, utterly amazing.
The treatment is called whole body photodynamic therapy (PDT) and it’s pretty amazing. For most people it is painless, non-intrusive, has no side effects, and can be repeated as many times as necessary until the cancer is gone with no reduction in effectiveness. It seems to work on all types of cancer, is used as a first line treatment for primary cancers as well as on very advanced cancers, and for many patients it even initiates an immune response that can help the body to start fighting the cancer itself. Results have been astonishing, with many stage 4 patients experiencing complete remission – it’s too early to tell whether it is a cure for advanced cancers, but I’ve talked to oncologists working in the field who believe it is.
To explain how it works, I need to back up a little.Conventional localised (ie not wholebody) PDT has been available for over a hundred years, has a success rate of 98%, and is widely used for skin and oesophageal cancers. The inventor got a Nobel Prize for his work. It works by introducing a Photosensitising Agent (PA) into the tumour, which as the name suggests makes the cells sensitive to light in a specific spectrum. Most PAs are based on chlorophyll from plants, so are totally harmless to normal cells. The PA enters the cancer cells, and when exposed to light of a certain wavelength a chemical reaction occurs, which produces singlet oxygen. If the light source is strong it produces enough singlet oxygen to literally pop the cancer cell and destroy it immediately - the process takes 45 seconds. If the light source is weaker, it can damage the cell enough that it will eventually die. The limitation of this treatment has been that it can only be used on cancers very close to the skin or where a light probe can reach them like the throat, because the light wavelength used only travels a cm or so into the body. Also the PA can leave the area treated sensitive to light for many months, so patients have to stay inside or buy a burka! The huge new development is that the Russians and Chinese, after over 20 years and billions of pounds worth of research, have developed PDT into a system that can be used to treat the whole body in the way that chemo does, but without damaging healthy cells, hence no side effects. This is pretty much the Holy Grail of cancer therapy.
The system available in China (http://www.nextgenerationpdt.com/ )uses a PA based on spirulina. You ingest the PA by drinking a foul green liquid, and also breathing it in through a nebuliser. The PA has been chemically engineered to lodge in all cancer cells, but to leave healthy cells after 10 hours – it will also cross the blood/brain barrier to work on brain tumours. As the PA leaves healthy cells so quickly, there is no issue with leaving the body sensitive to light – I was sunbathing by the hotel pool immediately after treatment! So the day after ingesting the PA, when it has left all healthy cells, the whole body is exposed to a light source in the near infra-red spectrum that can travel up to 10cms into the body. You lie a lightbed similar to a sunbed, with LED light directed from every angle. The 10cm light penetration is enough to get to every area of the body for a normal sized person, and to kill individual cancer cells circulating in the bloodstream. In addition, areas of concern or known tumours can be treated with strong localised lasers. Large or deep seated tumours can be treated with an interstitial light probe directly into the tumour.
The protocol for treatment depends on the severity of the cancer – I just had the lightbed and lasers, so it was painless and non-intrusive, with no side-effects. The interstitial probes can be uncomfortable for a few seconds, and large tumours will swell as they break up which can cause discomfort and some feel feverish for a few days – this is the start of the immune system recognising the cancer. A single course lasts 8 days, with 4 light treatments. The recommendation for advanced cancer is 3 courses of 8 days each, with a two week gap in between each course.
There are some limitations to the treatment, for example if a tumour is situated where the swelling could be dangerous (ie too near the heart), or if it is wrapped around a major blood vessel that could rupture as the tumour disintegrates, it would be too dangerous to treat. They also specify a minimum life expectancy of 3 months as the treatment can take time to work on very large tumours – people for whom it has been unsuccessful are generally those where the cancer was advancing faster than the PDT could work. Bone tumours are also harder to treat than soft tissue as light can’t travel as far through bone.
I was treated at a clinic in Guangzhou called Next Generation Photo Dynamic Therapy (NGPDT), which is owned and operated by an Australian/ Chinese company. They are a private clinic with patients coming from all over the world, and are planning a major expansion into 63 countries – they hope to be in the UK within 2 years. A similar but not identical system is available in Chinese hospitals for locals. A recent trial of NGPDT in Beijing on advanced lung cancer patients, who usually have a very poor prognosis, had 1 and 2 year survival rates of 94% and 71% respectively, compared to 68% and 32% for the control chemo and rads group. The NGPDT patients had complete remission in 56% of cases, and partial remission in a further 21%. Details here:http://meetinglibrary.asco.org/content/113379-132. A second trial in Australia on prostate and bladder cancers is in phase 2, and when complete should satisfy the regulatory requirements to bring the treatment to the UK.
When I was in China I met people being treated for a large range of cancers, most were very sick and had exhausted all other treatment options other than palliative care (I was not their typical patient, having a very light cancer load). These are the hardest cases to treat, weakened by years of chemo, but even so, everyone I met seemed to be responding. An Australian woman with a large inoperable brain tumour had a 60% reduction in tumour volume after 2 courses of treatment, and was regaining speech and balance. An Irish guy with lung cancer that had spread pretty much everywhere (he described his PET scan as lighting up like a Christmas tree) had cancer in only 1 lymph node after 3 courses. An American guy with large lung tumours described having an interstitial probe and being able to hear the tumours fizzing as they dissolved, and an immediate relief from the pain they were causing. I could go on and on – but you can see some of these people yourself being interviewed on Youtube.
As for me, I had no active tumours big enough to show up on a scan when I was treated, so there is no way of knowing how successful it has been – I will have to wait and see. Although I am currently NED having successfully treated bone and liver mets, I know my cancer will recur at some stage, so this treatment was an attempt to prevent that. I went with the blessing of my onc, who had wanted me to have a course of chemo following my liver ablation. I declined the chemo and had NGPDT instead. I have decided never to have chemo or rads again. I only had one course of NGPDT treatment – not the 3 they recommended. But if I need to go back for more I will be on the next plane to China. My hope is that one course will be enough to keep me well for a couple years, and by that time I’m hoping NGPDT will be available in London. In China, the worried well are having NGPDT to prevent cancer – it’s no more onerous than using a sunbed for half an hour!
Also found these links on the subject http://www.uclh.nhs.uk/OURSERVICES/SERVICEA-Z/CANCER/CANCERTREATMENTS/PDT/Pages/OtherPDTworkatUCLH.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1773165/
http://www.patient.co.uk/support/PDT-For-Cancer-Cure-Ltd.htm
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Treatmenttypes/Othertreatments/Photodynamictherapy.aspx
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/photodynamic
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/treatment/other/photodynamic-therapy-pdt
http://www.killingcancer.co.uk/home.asp
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/photodynamic-therapy
The treatment is called whole body photodynamic therapy (PDT) and it’s pretty amazing. For most people it is painless, non-intrusive, has no side effects, and can be repeated as many times as necessary until the cancer is gone with no reduction in effectiveness. It seems to work on all types of cancer, is used as a first line treatment for primary cancers as well as on very advanced cancers, and for many patients it even initiates an immune response that can help the body to start fighting the cancer itself. Results have been astonishing, with many stage 4 patients experiencing complete remission – it’s too early to tell whether it is a cure for advanced cancers, but I’ve talked to oncologists working in the field who believe it is.
To explain how it works, I need to back up a little.Conventional localised (ie not wholebody) PDT has been available for over a hundred years, has a success rate of 98%, and is widely used for skin and oesophageal cancers. The inventor got a Nobel Prize for his work. It works by introducing a Photosensitising Agent (PA) into the tumour, which as the name suggests makes the cells sensitive to light in a specific spectrum. Most PAs are based on chlorophyll from plants, so are totally harmless to normal cells. The PA enters the cancer cells, and when exposed to light of a certain wavelength a chemical reaction occurs, which produces singlet oxygen. If the light source is strong it produces enough singlet oxygen to literally pop the cancer cell and destroy it immediately - the process takes 45 seconds. If the light source is weaker, it can damage the cell enough that it will eventually die. The limitation of this treatment has been that it can only be used on cancers very close to the skin or where a light probe can reach them like the throat, because the light wavelength used only travels a cm or so into the body. Also the PA can leave the area treated sensitive to light for many months, so patients have to stay inside or buy a burka! The huge new development is that the Russians and Chinese, after over 20 years and billions of pounds worth of research, have developed PDT into a system that can be used to treat the whole body in the way that chemo does, but without damaging healthy cells, hence no side effects. This is pretty much the Holy Grail of cancer therapy.
The system available in China (http://www.nextgenerationpdt.com/ )uses a PA based on spirulina. You ingest the PA by drinking a foul green liquid, and also breathing it in through a nebuliser. The PA has been chemically engineered to lodge in all cancer cells, but to leave healthy cells after 10 hours – it will also cross the blood/brain barrier to work on brain tumours. As the PA leaves healthy cells so quickly, there is no issue with leaving the body sensitive to light – I was sunbathing by the hotel pool immediately after treatment! So the day after ingesting the PA, when it has left all healthy cells, the whole body is exposed to a light source in the near infra-red spectrum that can travel up to 10cms into the body. You lie a lightbed similar to a sunbed, with LED light directed from every angle. The 10cm light penetration is enough to get to every area of the body for a normal sized person, and to kill individual cancer cells circulating in the bloodstream. In addition, areas of concern or known tumours can be treated with strong localised lasers. Large or deep seated tumours can be treated with an interstitial light probe directly into the tumour.
The protocol for treatment depends on the severity of the cancer – I just had the lightbed and lasers, so it was painless and non-intrusive, with no side-effects. The interstitial probes can be uncomfortable for a few seconds, and large tumours will swell as they break up which can cause discomfort and some feel feverish for a few days – this is the start of the immune system recognising the cancer. A single course lasts 8 days, with 4 light treatments. The recommendation for advanced cancer is 3 courses of 8 days each, with a two week gap in between each course.
There are some limitations to the treatment, for example if a tumour is situated where the swelling could be dangerous (ie too near the heart), or if it is wrapped around a major blood vessel that could rupture as the tumour disintegrates, it would be too dangerous to treat. They also specify a minimum life expectancy of 3 months as the treatment can take time to work on very large tumours – people for whom it has been unsuccessful are generally those where the cancer was advancing faster than the PDT could work. Bone tumours are also harder to treat than soft tissue as light can’t travel as far through bone.
I was treated at a clinic in Guangzhou called Next Generation Photo Dynamic Therapy (NGPDT), which is owned and operated by an Australian/ Chinese company. They are a private clinic with patients coming from all over the world, and are planning a major expansion into 63 countries – they hope to be in the UK within 2 years. A similar but not identical system is available in Chinese hospitals for locals. A recent trial of NGPDT in Beijing on advanced lung cancer patients, who usually have a very poor prognosis, had 1 and 2 year survival rates of 94% and 71% respectively, compared to 68% and 32% for the control chemo and rads group. The NGPDT patients had complete remission in 56% of cases, and partial remission in a further 21%. Details here:http://meetinglibrary.asco.org/content/113379-132. A second trial in Australia on prostate and bladder cancers is in phase 2, and when complete should satisfy the regulatory requirements to bring the treatment to the UK.
When I was in China I met people being treated for a large range of cancers, most were very sick and had exhausted all other treatment options other than palliative care (I was not their typical patient, having a very light cancer load). These are the hardest cases to treat, weakened by years of chemo, but even so, everyone I met seemed to be responding. An Australian woman with a large inoperable brain tumour had a 60% reduction in tumour volume after 2 courses of treatment, and was regaining speech and balance. An Irish guy with lung cancer that had spread pretty much everywhere (he described his PET scan as lighting up like a Christmas tree) had cancer in only 1 lymph node after 3 courses. An American guy with large lung tumours described having an interstitial probe and being able to hear the tumours fizzing as they dissolved, and an immediate relief from the pain they were causing. I could go on and on – but you can see some of these people yourself being interviewed on Youtube.
As for me, I had no active tumours big enough to show up on a scan when I was treated, so there is no way of knowing how successful it has been – I will have to wait and see. Although I am currently NED having successfully treated bone and liver mets, I know my cancer will recur at some stage, so this treatment was an attempt to prevent that. I went with the blessing of my onc, who had wanted me to have a course of chemo following my liver ablation. I declined the chemo and had NGPDT instead. I have decided never to have chemo or rads again. I only had one course of NGPDT treatment – not the 3 they recommended. But if I need to go back for more I will be on the next plane to China. My hope is that one course will be enough to keep me well for a couple years, and by that time I’m hoping NGPDT will be available in London. In China, the worried well are having NGPDT to prevent cancer – it’s no more onerous than using a sunbed for half an hour!
Also found these links on the subject http://www.uclh.nhs.uk/OURSERVICES/SERVICEA-Z/CANCER/CANCERTREATMENTS/PDT/Pages/OtherPDTworkatUCLH.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1773165/
http://www.patient.co.uk/support/PDT-For-Cancer-Cure-Ltd.htm
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Treatmenttypes/Othertreatments/Photodynamictherapy.aspx
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/photodynamic
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/treatment/other/photodynamic-therapy-pdt
http://www.killingcancer.co.uk/home.asp
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/photodynamic-therapy
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Another light on in heaven....
This is the fourth woman whom I was following and had a few online conversations with who I've just found out passed away last Monday. I hate this fucking disease, it just keeps getting harder and harder. First it was Ellie, then Lisa, closely followed by Laurie and now Fran all were way too young to die, all of them tried everything they could and unfortunately all have now passed away. I kept checking Frans blog site http://francescap79.tumblr.com/page/2 and couldn't help but think the worst when she hadn't posted for such a long time. Me and Fran shared the same in that we both had lung mets, this has really knocked me for six, such terrible news RIP Fran, god bless you.
Thursday, 21 March 2013
Devastated at the loss....
It is with a heavy heart that my post today is on the passing of two women who had been fighting so hard against this bloody awful disease. The first person was Lisa Lynch of http://alrighttit.blogspot.co.uk/2013_03_01_archive.html blog and the excellent book 'The C-Word' Lisa was so incredibly young dx at only 28 years old her blog and book helped me through my own initial shock and subsequent acceptance of the fact that I am now living with cancer. I didn't know Lisa personally but due to her brilliant witty writing style felt that I knew her as a close friend. The second lady was known on the forums as Alesta aka Laurie, again such amazing strength and the courage of a lion she was a true inspiration to all of us on the facebook chat group and on the BCC forum, Laurie told me about the BCC forum she sent me personal messages full of humour, advise and wisdom, she made me feel that I wasn't alone in dealing with all this cancer shit, I loved the fact that she swore her head off, and voiced her opinions, she was true to herself and in being so genuine helped others. Both of these women leave behind family and friends, both were too young. Its rained all day down here and the roads are starting too flood which is how I feel, I have cried a river over these deaths and others since I was dx it never gets any easier. RIP love and light xxx
Today I went for a MRI on my head too make sure that the searing migraines are not something more sinister, spent an hour in there listening to some bloody terrible loud banging noise as the machine scans my head, then another injection of something or other in my hand, poor hand, then more loud noise. Followed by some retail therapy in Primarni and a cuppa coffee with my best friend and then onto the lymphedema clinic for some MLD (manual lymphatic drainage). Feel exhausted and tired so early to bed or I might just camp out on the sofa and try to regain some kind of normal composure. xxx
Today I went for a MRI on my head too make sure that the searing migraines are not something more sinister, spent an hour in there listening to some bloody terrible loud banging noise as the machine scans my head, then another injection of something or other in my hand, poor hand, then more loud noise. Followed by some retail therapy in Primarni and a cuppa coffee with my best friend and then onto the lymphedema clinic for some MLD (manual lymphatic drainage). Feel exhausted and tired so early to bed or I might just camp out on the sofa and try to regain some kind of normal composure. xxx
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Healing, healers and energy workers...
Last year I chanced upon a brilliant blog called 'Spiritual Light on Cancer' the lady Fiona that runs the blog is based in england but receives absent healing from a healer called Zoe based in Australia, Zoe can also channel spirits and asks her guides questions to which Fiona posts the responses. I asked a question about healing, physic surgeons etc and Fiona has kindly posted the response here's the link its a fascinating read. http://spiritual-light-on-cancer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/21-can-energy-healing-help-to-cure.html#comment-form. Here's what I've posted as a response in the comments section.
Hi Fiona, Wanted to say thank you for asking the question and for posting this article it is truly fascinating, I have been going to a healer ever since I was dx with SBC (secondary breast cancer) and feel this has played an important part in my continued stable status, I believe in healing BUT I also believe that we have to do everything we can within our power to survive especially if you have cancer so doing all the conventional treatments like chemo/surgery/rads was always going to be part of my plan in addition to these treatments I also have tried a variety of complementary treatments like acupuncture, reflexology, organic juicing, supplements more recently yoga and I've booked an appointment with a lady that specialises in kinesiology to assess whether or not I need to take any additional supplements or add anything to my diet all of this including my weekly visits to a healer are I believe hugely important to my continued well being and stable status, I am living with breast cancer and doing everything within my power to fight it and survive. Whilst I am receiving the healing I meditate on healing myself and every time I drink one of my fresh green veg juices I feel the cells in my body power up. Thanks again for such a fascinating article and Happy New Year to you. Sending you and your healers/guides lots of love and light sarah xxxx
Hi Fiona, Wanted to say thank you for asking the question and for posting this article it is truly fascinating, I have been going to a healer ever since I was dx with SBC (secondary breast cancer) and feel this has played an important part in my continued stable status, I believe in healing BUT I also believe that we have to do everything we can within our power to survive especially if you have cancer so doing all the conventional treatments like chemo/surgery/rads was always going to be part of my plan in addition to these treatments I also have tried a variety of complementary treatments like acupuncture, reflexology, organic juicing, supplements more recently yoga and I've booked an appointment with a lady that specialises in kinesiology to assess whether or not I need to take any additional supplements or add anything to my diet all of this including my weekly visits to a healer are I believe hugely important to my continued well being and stable status, I am living with breast cancer and doing everything within my power to fight it and survive. Whilst I am receiving the healing I meditate on healing myself and every time I drink one of my fresh green veg juices I feel the cells in my body power up. Thanks again for such a fascinating article and Happy New Year to you. Sending you and your healers/guides lots of love and light sarah xxxx
Monday, 24 December 2012
God Bless us all.... Merry Christmas everyone......
Tis Christmas Eve and I have been reflecting on the past year, its up and downs and it many many phases of enlightenment. It all started off with a visit last Jan (after a radiotherapy session) to Buckfast Abbey and WoW what a beautiful serene place, I was moved to tears and found out that I am very sensitive to 'Thin Places' (see this link for any explanation http://survivingthebeastwithin.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/early-bird-and-spiritual-enlightenment.html).
Aside from the spiritual visits to the 'Thin Places of Worship' I have been receiving spiritual healing once a week I feel sure this has made all the difference to my recovery and continued stable status, after the healing we (myself and a couple of other ladies) have formed a spiritualist group where we exchange a piece of jewellery and conduct mediumship readings for each other we have been doing this for the best part of a year so far and apparently I have been hitting the spiritual nail on the head in so far as readings are concerned, I sort of meditate and then write down whatever comes to mind, most of the time to me it appears to be a load of mumbo jumbo but when I tell the sitter the outcome they always seem relate to what I have said, so much so that recently I was asked to do a reading for someone outside of the group to which again I seem to be coming up with relevant and current topics for the sitter, it is with this in mind that I am now reflecting on whether or not to actually offer this as a service, its something worth thinking about and I must admit it does make me feel really good especially as I seem to have an affinity for this sort of thing. On the subject still I highly recommend that anyone remotely interested in spiritualism to read this book 'The Boy Who Saw True' I have just finished reading it and its changed my outlook (the second book this year that has changed my outlook) and made me think 'outside the box' its about a young boy who during his youth used to write a diary and in it mentioned the fact that he see's spirits or ghosts (he thinks everyone can see what he sees) its a truly fascinating book here's the link http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/707225.The_Boy_Who_Saw_True.
Sending you all peace love and light and wishing you all a very merry christmas
Love Sarah xxx
Aside from the spiritual visits to the 'Thin Places of Worship' I have been receiving spiritual healing once a week I feel sure this has made all the difference to my recovery and continued stable status, after the healing we (myself and a couple of other ladies) have formed a spiritualist group where we exchange a piece of jewellery and conduct mediumship readings for each other we have been doing this for the best part of a year so far and apparently I have been hitting the spiritual nail on the head in so far as readings are concerned, I sort of meditate and then write down whatever comes to mind, most of the time to me it appears to be a load of mumbo jumbo but when I tell the sitter the outcome they always seem relate to what I have said, so much so that recently I was asked to do a reading for someone outside of the group to which again I seem to be coming up with relevant and current topics for the sitter, it is with this in mind that I am now reflecting on whether or not to actually offer this as a service, its something worth thinking about and I must admit it does make me feel really good especially as I seem to have an affinity for this sort of thing. On the subject still I highly recommend that anyone remotely interested in spiritualism to read this book 'The Boy Who Saw True' I have just finished reading it and its changed my outlook (the second book this year that has changed my outlook) and made me think 'outside the box' its about a young boy who during his youth used to write a diary and in it mentioned the fact that he see's spirits or ghosts (he thinks everyone can see what he sees) its a truly fascinating book here's the link http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/707225.The_Boy_Who_Saw_True.
Sending you all peace love and light and wishing you all a very merry christmas
Love Sarah xxx
Saturday, 14 April 2012
Light at night and shift work
Prior to my dx I worked for 5 years at night for a major newspaper/magazine group I did 3 shifts 13hrs per shift right through the night, at the time it suited me because I could earn an average wage only doing the 3 nights which left me with plenty of down time to go to my art studio and paint. Since being dx I have learned about a connection with Breast Cancer and not sleeping at night. Low levels of melatonin due to excess exposure to light or as natural part of the aging process is associated with increased risk of breast cancer.
When we go to sleep normally during the night in a pitch black room our bodies produce a hormone called Melatonin that communicates information concerning environmental light conditions to various parts of the body and plays a vital role in the synchronization of circadian rhythms. Melatonin is synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. Women can maintain their melatonin levels by getting enough sleep, avoiding night shift work and light exposure at night, and consuming melatonin-rich foods. I will list these melatonin rich foods later.
Melatonin is produced at night (or in conditions of darkness) and nocturnal light disrupts melatonin synthesis. When women work at night or are otherwise exposed to light at night, their risk of breast cancer increases. Perhaps the most dramatic evidence of this phenomenon is the finding that blind women have a lower risk of breast cancer than sighted women. In addition, total visual blindness provides significantly higher protection against breast cancer than partial blindness with some perception of light.
Nurses engaging in night shift work have higher rates of breast cancer than nurses working day shifts. However some types of schedules appear to be more harmful than others and the number of years of night shift work also makes a difference. A Norwegian study which included 44,835 nurses found no increase in breast cancer risk after long periods during which nurses worked at least three night shifts per month. Small, statistically insignificant increases in risk were found for exposure to working at least 12 years in schedules that included some night work, working a total of at least 1,007 night shifts during one's lifetime, or having a lifetime average number of at least four night shifts per month. Higher, but still statistically insignificant increases in risk of breast cancer were found in women who worked at least five years with at least four consecutive night shifts or at least five consecutive night shifts. However, significantly increased risks were observed in nurses who mworked at least five years with six or more consecutive night shifts. Hence, the increase in breast cancer risk appears to be related to number of consecutive night shifts and the number of years of such shifts worked.
Habitually sleeping in the presence of artificial light at night might also increase breast cancer risk by inhibiting melatonin production. Blue light wavelengths appear to have a far greater suppressive effect on melatonin production than red wavelengths. One study found that, compared to exposure to dim light, exposure to room light before bedtime suppressed melatonin production, resulting in a later melatonin onset in 99% of study participants and shortening the duration of melatonin production by approximately 90 minutes. In an Israeli study, 1,679 breast cancer patients were interviewed regarding bedroom light levels, including light coming in the room outside the bedroom and sleeping with the television on. "Sleeping habitat" light intensity was found to be linked to breast cancer risk.
Common foods that are very good dietary sources of melatonin include almonds,cherries (especially sour or tart cherries), and tomatoes. Walnuts, oats, and sweet corn also contain some melatonin. Other very good sources of melatonin include white and black mustard seeds,sunflower seeds, fennel seed, red, brown and green algae, and flaxseed.
Although melatonin supplements have been shown to be effective in increasing circulating melatonin levels, there have been few studies concerning the impact of such supplementation on breast cancer risk or breast cancer recurrence. Melatonin supplements are typically taken to aid sleep or as part of an anti-aging regimen. While the levels of melatonin found in supplements appear to be safe for the general population, safe and effective dosages for breast cancer survivors have not been established and my oncs. registrar told me not to take melatonin. I was flabbergasted when I found out about this and have beaten myself up as too why I worked nights for so long, wish I'd of known about this hence my reason for posting. I'm thinking I might get some Melatonin from Holland and Barratt and figure anything is worth a try especially when your at stage IV cancer.
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