I had just been blessed with a 2 1/2 year old baby boy in November 2005. The first year was really tough for me for he was a meth baby and could not sleep at night. The crying would go on for hours. I would hold and sing to him and one night I noticed that I was getting severe back pain and pain in my upper right rib cage. The following year, I found a mass in my right breast and suddenly, I got a strange feeling in my gut. For the next week, I would make up stories about the mass and finally had to come to conclusion this could be serious. In January 2007, I got a mammogram and within 10 days I got the letter and a phone call from my GYN. A second mammogram and ultrasound was performed, then another call for a needle biopsy. That's when I was diagnosed with "Abrasive lobor carcinoma." Within a week, I had a breast MRI, blood work, a port placed in my right side of my chest and my first chemo treatment. As I continue to receive chemo, every week, there were times I wanted to die. I lost my hair and my eyelashes, and my finger nails began to loosen and fall off. I had sores in my mouth and a metallic taste, which made it hard to eat or swallow. I would cry everyday when I looked at myself in the mirror and wondered if I was going to make it. Although, when I went in front of the public, I was smiling and continued to work. Attitude is very important and not to ask “Why me?” (although it is very normal to ask), but ask, “What can I do to beat this? " I was in stage 4, and the cancer had spread to my liver, spine, pelvis, and ribs. By the grace of God and a good Doctor, my life was spared. I had so many people praying for me. I saw God's face and who is really is. I was in remission or a year and a half. It now has come back for the third time, but I have peace and will fight this battle again. Published: October 14 ::

My first problem was Raynaud's syndrome which became very severe, necessitating hospitalization and Iloprost infusion to control ulceration of the fingertips. An enlarged underarm gland was investigated at the same time. Following surgery it was found to be cancerous and spreading to other nodes. No primary tumor was found and I was treated for breast cancer throughout 2005. (Chemotherapy followed by axillary clearance.) Because of suspected connective tissue disease, it was decided not to offer radiotherapy. Happily I remain well, and Captopril is proving effective in reducing the Raynaud's. However I am convinced that the cancer and the Raynaud’s are connected in some way, perhaps due to stress on my immune system? I'd be interested to know of other similar cases. Published: October 22 ::

General symptoms of cancer include tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss and night sweats. But many cancers have been not associated to the lump itself though have been associated to proteins which they secrete. Some really tiny cancers can mean serious systemic symptoms, whereas some really vast ones can cause none at all. Most cancers, if caught early, have been treatable as well as have great survival rates. Published: October 19 ::

I am a Latina woman who was diagnosed with Scleroderma "CREST" in 1999. Since that time, I have had many different surgeries to remove calcinosis. I most recently had a surgery in November 2006 to remove a lump in my right groin (lymph node). It was diagnosed as a secondary squamous cell carcinoma with no site of origin. I keep getting CTs every six months, and still no site of origin. I remember that I had a painful lump on my right thigh, and my doctor said it was another calcinosis. He recommended that I massage it every day. I did, and it disappeared, and then the lump appeared in my groin about a week or two later. Published: November 13 ::

My mother just passed away from cancer. She has had cancer for the past 20 years off an on. She had had breast cancer, leukemia, colon cancer, kidney cancer, and the last one was liver cancer. Published: November 05 ::

I have a male friend (53) who was diagnosed with melanoma 12/05 in his right thigh, just above the back side of the knee (origin of a mole). At the same time as surgery, a lymph node that had been bothering him in his groin was removed and found to be malignant. He went through one year of chemo/radiation treatment. The cancer was found again on a spot on his back, then several spots in his right lung over the next three years. Now there are no signs of cancer on a CT scan. He has started a three-year treatment...14 days on/14 days off of sargramostim (Leukine). Published: October 05 ::

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. My right thyroid was removed surgically and the left was destroyed after with radiation/iodine treatments. I have had no after affects, except for my daily dose of Synthroid. As cancer runs in my family, I feel I was lucky to get thyroid cancer. My father, two brothers and I have had the following: colon (my father died of this), melanoma, prostrate, esophagus (my brother was given 6 months to live 13 years ago) and my thyroid. I am a believer that cancer "does" run in families, so I try to guard myself against any cancer that I can, but feel that there isn't always anything we can do to prevent it. Published: July 16 ::