Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

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Capri
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:59 pm

Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby Capri » Sat Jun 30, 2018 9:01 am

Hello All,

I'm wondering if any of you have done any changes to your self-care to prevent a recurrence of CRC, anything at all, supplements, diet changes, exercise, spiritual work, etc? Did your physician recommend anything during treatment or afterwards, once you have been in remission?

Thank you.
Mom to son 46 yo at Dx (2017)
1/18 Robotic resection, sigmoid adenocarcinoma, Stg. IIIA T3 N1 MX, mod. differentiated, margins clear
2/18 - 7/30/18 Port placed; completed 12 cycles of FOLFOX
6/18 Put on Early surveillance CT,PET scan-normal. Neuropathy has started.
11/18 Clean colonoscopy; 11/20 CT normal.
2019 to 7/22 colonoscopies, CTs neck to groin have been normal.

lovelife789
Posts: 161
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 5:28 am

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby lovelife789 » Sat Jun 30, 2018 11:03 am

Capri wrote:Hello All,

I'm wondering if any of you have done any changes to your self-care to prevent a recurrence of CRC, anything at all, supplements, diet changes, exercise, spiritual work, etc? Did your physician recommend anything during treatment or afterwards, once you have been in remission?

Thank you.


Wow I think a lot of the heroes here did massive change to their lifestyle after they have reached remission.

Here's what I did and still do...

    1. Heavy workout twice a week (cardio, weight training, endurance training etc). On the side I do 5000 steps everyday.
    2. Switched to 80% whole/non processed organic food.
    3. Quit red meat, sugar, gluten
    4. Use natural and flouride free toothpaste
    5. Avoid any personal products with triclosan
    6. Daily juice with beetroot as base with other antioxidant fruits
    7. Daily supplement includes curcumin, vit D, cimentidine, reservatrol, vit c, baby aspirin, b 50 complex, probiotics, Omega 3
    8. Tree nuts everyday and avoid seafood
    9. I pray everyday.
F/38 - Dx 8 Mar 17, CEA 189.5
Stage IV Sig. Colon, Liver mets, T3N0M1a, KRAS NRAS Wild
3/17- 6/17 - 6 x FOLFOX + Erbitux
7/17 - 1st & 2nd Liver resec
9-12/17' - 13 x FOLFOX
1-6/18 - NED
6/18 - PET SCAN showed a 0.8mm lung nodule, VATs
8/18 - 4/19 - NED
5/19 - recurrence 1 x PALN, 1x common iliac
FOLFIRI + Avastin x 12 - complete response, SBRT
12/19-5/20 - NED
5/20 - recurrence in LNs, tiny liver spots x 2, W n W due to COVID
8/20 - LNs very slightly increased, liver stable, one new liver spot

Detox
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2017 5:27 pm

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby Detox » Sat Jun 30, 2018 11:28 am

lovelife789 wrote:
Capri wrote:Hello All,

I'm wondering if any of you have done any changes to your self-care to prevent a recurrence of CRC, anything at all, supplements, diet changes, exercise, spiritual work, etc? Did your physician recommend anything during treatment or afterwards, once you have been in remission?

Thank you.


Wow I think a lot of the heroes here did massive change to their lifestyle after they have reached remission.

Here's what I did and still do...

    1. Heavy workout twice a week (cardio, weight training, endurance training etc). On the side I do 5000 steps everyday.
    2. Switched to 80% whole/non processed organic food.
    3. Quit red meat, sugar, gluten
    4. Use natural and flouride free toothpaste
    5. Avoid any personal products with triclosan
    6. Daily juice with beetroot as base with other antioxidant fruits
    7. Daily supplement includes curcumin, vit D, cimentidine, reservatrol, vit c, baby aspirin, b 50 complex, probiotics, Omega 3
    8. Tree nuts everyday and avoid seafood
    9. I pray everyday.


+1 to what LoveLife said..

I was also a stage IV patient in Feb. 2015 but have managed to stay NED since by working my a$$ off to take care of myself the last 3 years.

"Science Based Medicine" doctors will shout from the mountain tops that doing this is all quackery and useless. But if you listen to these a-holes, then there's also no scientific evidence that living beings exist out there somewhere in the universe besides us.

Chickspeed
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 5:16 am

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby Chickspeed » Sat Jun 30, 2018 3:12 pm

http://www.aicr.org/foods-that-fight-cancer/

This site seems to have some insight and backup
12/15/2016 Mod Diff tumour 5-6 cm 10-12 cm fr AV T3 tumour cea 1.4
12/29/2016 CT no spread ln normal
1/19/2017 MRI confirms mass and shows 3 enlarged LN (suspected to be infection draining)
3/6/2017 25 sessions chemoradiation
6/20/2017 LAR with temp loop ileo
7/10/2017 Path 20mm margins tumour 0.1 CM with microscopic invasion of submucosa
aug-dec 2017 6 rnds xeloda
1/9/2018 CT all clear
1/18/2018 Colonoscopy clear
3/27/2018 ileo reversal
CEA continues to be normal

Capri
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:59 pm

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby Capri » Sat Jun 30, 2018 7:08 pm

lovelife789 wrote:
Capri wrote:Hello All,

I'm wondering if any of you have done any changes to your self-care to prevent a recurrence of CRC, anything at all, supplements, diet changes, exercise, spiritual work, etc? Did your physician recommend anything during treatment or afterwards, once you have been in remission?

Thank you.


Wow I think a lot of the heroes here did massive change to their lifestyle after they have reached remission.

Here's what I did and still do...

    1. Heavy workout twice a week (cardio, weight training, endurance training etc). On the side I do 5000 steps everyday.
    2. Switched to 80% whole/non processed organic food.
    3. Quit red meat, sugar, gluten
    4. Use natural and flouride free toothpaste
    5. Avoid any personal products with triclosan
    6. Daily juice with beetroot as base with other antioxidant fruits
    7. Daily supplement includes curcumin, vit D, cimentidine, reservatrol, vit c, baby aspirin, b 50 complex, probiotics, Omega 3
    8. Tree nuts everyday and avoid seafood
    9. I pray everyday.


Thanks so much lovelife789--very helpful. May I ask why you avoid seafood?
I hope and pray my son never has a recurrence. I will share this with him. He's already changed his diet but he can do more.
Mom to son 46 yo at Dx (2017)
1/18 Robotic resection, sigmoid adenocarcinoma, Stg. IIIA T3 N1 MX, mod. differentiated, margins clear
2/18 - 7/30/18 Port placed; completed 12 cycles of FOLFOX
6/18 Put on Early surveillance CT,PET scan-normal. Neuropathy has started.
11/18 Clean colonoscopy; 11/20 CT normal.
2019 to 7/22 colonoscopies, CTs neck to groin have been normal.

Capri
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:59 pm

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby Capri » Sat Jun 30, 2018 7:09 pm

Chickspeed wrote:http://www.aicr.org/foods-that-fight-cancer/

This site seems to have some insight and backup


Thank you Chickspeed!
Mom to son 46 yo at Dx (2017)
1/18 Robotic resection, sigmoid adenocarcinoma, Stg. IIIA T3 N1 MX, mod. differentiated, margins clear
2/18 - 7/30/18 Port placed; completed 12 cycles of FOLFOX
6/18 Put on Early surveillance CT,PET scan-normal. Neuropathy has started.
11/18 Clean colonoscopy; 11/20 CT normal.
2019 to 7/22 colonoscopies, CTs neck to groin have been normal.

Capri
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:59 pm

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby Capri » Sat Jun 30, 2018 7:12 pm

Detox wrote:
lovelife789 wrote:
Capri wrote:Hello All,

I'm wondering if any of you have done any changes to your self-care to prevent a recurrence of CRC, anything at all, supplements, diet changes, exercise, spiritual work, etc? Did your physician recommend anything during treatment or afterwards, once you have been in remission?

Thank you.


Wow I think a lot of the heroes here did massive change to their lifestyle after they have reached remission.

Here's what I did and still do...

    1. Heavy workout twice a week (cardio, weight training, endurance training etc). On the side I do 5000 steps everyday.
    2. Switched to 80% whole/non processed organic food.
    3. Quit red meat, sugar, gluten
    4. Use natural and flouride free toothpaste
    5. Avoid any personal products with triclosan
    6. Daily juice with beetroot as base with other antioxidant fruits
    7. Daily supplement includes curcumin, vit D, cimentidine, reservatrol, vit c, baby aspirin, b 50 complex, probiotics, Omega 3
    8. Tree nuts everyday and avoid seafood
    9. I pray everyday.


+1 to what LoveLife said..

I was also a stage IV patient in Feb. 2015 but have managed to stay NED since by working my a$$ off to take care of myself the last 3 years.

"Science Based Medicine" doctors will shout from the mountain tops that doing this is all quackery and useless. But if you listen to these a-holes, then there's also no scientific evidence that living beings exist out there somewhere in the universe besides us.


Wow, Detox, you've done very well--congratulations on your hard work! I hope you always show NED. I'd be interested to know if you did anything more/different than what lovelife listed. Thank you.
Mom to son 46 yo at Dx (2017)
1/18 Robotic resection, sigmoid adenocarcinoma, Stg. IIIA T3 N1 MX, mod. differentiated, margins clear
2/18 - 7/30/18 Port placed; completed 12 cycles of FOLFOX
6/18 Put on Early surveillance CT,PET scan-normal. Neuropathy has started.
11/18 Clean colonoscopy; 11/20 CT normal.
2019 to 7/22 colonoscopies, CTs neck to groin have been normal.

Utwo
Posts: 285
Joined: Mon May 23, 2016 10:14 am
Location: T.O.

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby Utwo » Sat Jun 30, 2018 8:50 pm

Just keep in mind that scientific evidence of usefulness of the above approaches is missing.
58 yo male at diagnosis: T1bN0M0, 0/15 nodes, low grade/moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma
03/2016 colonoscopy: 2 small polyps removed in left colon; CEA = 1.3
04/2016 colonoscopy: caecum sessile 3.5 cm polyp piecemeal removed with kind of clear margins
05/2016 "prophylactic" laparoscopic right hemicolectomy - bleeding, leak, infection
06/2017 CT scan, colonoscopy OK; CEA = 1.6
A lot of funny stuff discovered by CT scans in liver, kidney, lungs, arteries, gallbladder, lymph node, pancreas

User avatar
henry123
Posts: 218
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 3:25 am

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby henry123 » Sun Jul 01, 2018 12:18 am

I am
@ mostly vegan though I slack off while on vacations.
@ curcumin,
@ aspirin 150 mg
@ 8000+ steps + yoga
@ try to avoid emotions like jealousy, conflict and stress
@ veggie juice 2 to 3 glasses - carrot, pomegranate, greens, ginger etc
@ apricot kernels etc
46yo M msi-high Lynch +ve
5/16 lap AR 14/21 L nodes +ve
T4N2M1
7/16 Capox 9 cyc
9/16 cea 2
1/17 550
PET CT mets in lung & peri
iri+ avast fail
3/17 10577
4/17 regro fail
5/17 cea 28800
5/17 CT inc in size of mes nodes ,onset of multi nodules in liver
6/17 Opdivo start
7/17 26754
8/17 5623
9/17 497
10/17 52
CT all clear exc a nodule in Lung. liver norm
1/18 3.6
Aspirin start
6/18 1.5 CT clear
12/18 1.1 NED
1/20 NED Opdivo stop
8/23 1.0 All ok

lovelife789
Posts: 161
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 5:28 am

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby lovelife789 » Sun Jul 01, 2018 1:06 am

Utwo wrote:Just keep in mind that scientific evidence of usefulness of the above approaches is missing.


Yep exactly, thanks for reminding!! :D :D :D
F/38 - Dx 8 Mar 17, CEA 189.5
Stage IV Sig. Colon, Liver mets, T3N0M1a, KRAS NRAS Wild
3/17- 6/17 - 6 x FOLFOX + Erbitux
7/17 - 1st & 2nd Liver resec
9-12/17' - 13 x FOLFOX
1-6/18 - NED
6/18 - PET SCAN showed a 0.8mm lung nodule, VATs
8/18 - 4/19 - NED
5/19 - recurrence 1 x PALN, 1x common iliac
FOLFIRI + Avastin x 12 - complete response, SBRT
12/19-5/20 - NED
5/20 - recurrence in LNs, tiny liver spots x 2, W n W due to COVID
8/20 - LNs very slightly increased, liver stable, one new liver spot

lovelife789
Posts: 161
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 5:28 am

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby lovelife789 » Sun Jul 01, 2018 1:24 am

Thanks so much lovelife789--very helpful. May I ask why you avoid seafood?
I hope and pray my son never has a recurrence. I will share this with him. He's already changed his diet but he can do more.


Good question, sorry for not making it clear. What I meant seafood was mostly shellfish (like crabs, prawns, clams and stuff). Squids I eat sometimes...

There's not only one rationale pointing to my avoidance. First of all, since a few years ago (even before my diagnosis), whenever ate prawns, crabs, lobsters, my eczema would be woken up from its sleep. The breakout became more frequent until 12 months before my diagnosis, I would not be able to sit still due to eczema outbreak if I had crab during the meal. So I quit eating shellfish before I got sick.

Secondly, when I was sick I came to learn some Jewish don't eat shellfish because shellfish generally eat "dirt" from the sea. Then I thought about it and how the ocean is so polluted nowadays, it kinda make sense. I thought about how eczema is an autoimmune disease and my pattern of eczema outbreak being linked with seafood prompted me to pay attention on how to maintain a stronger immune system. So far... 18 months of avoiding seafood, no eczema outbreak at all.

btw, I was never a fan of fry food, I always eat steamed, braised, baked food. I'm also all for positive vibes, I shut out any negative thoughts. Even people are being an a-hole, I just flush out their negative energy. :)
F/38 - Dx 8 Mar 17, CEA 189.5
Stage IV Sig. Colon, Liver mets, T3N0M1a, KRAS NRAS Wild
3/17- 6/17 - 6 x FOLFOX + Erbitux
7/17 - 1st & 2nd Liver resec
9-12/17' - 13 x FOLFOX
1-6/18 - NED
6/18 - PET SCAN showed a 0.8mm lung nodule, VATs
8/18 - 4/19 - NED
5/19 - recurrence 1 x PALN, 1x common iliac
FOLFIRI + Avastin x 12 - complete response, SBRT
12/19-5/20 - NED
5/20 - recurrence in LNs, tiny liver spots x 2, W n W due to COVID
8/20 - LNs very slightly increased, liver stable, one new liver spot

User avatar
Atoq
Posts: 412
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:31 am

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby Atoq » Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:25 am

There is scientific evidence that meat, especially processed meat increases the probability to develop CRC. Also a diet rich in fibers is positive in many ways.

I was already training a lot but perhaps this lead to producing too many free radicals? :D I avoid meat, diary, added sugar except when I bake a cake at home (then I use less, but I have two kids and should I say no to making a pavlova for birthdays?).

I try to eat a lot of veggies and I will likely try to have an A. Longo wise diet that is almost fasting for 5 days twice a year.

I take some supplements that a doctor of integrative medicine in Italy prescribed to better survive chemo and radio. It is funny because here (Norway) integrative medicine does not exist, while in Italy it is in the official hospital, the same administering chemo :D

It is really difficult to know what to do, you can find a scientific paper saying that something as an effect and another saying that it is not effective or even dangerous. Then you should dig more and be able to evaluate the methods, the statistics, the journal, the research group.

Scientific evidence is not so black and white for all fields, at least intermittent fasting worked on mice and people lacking genes promoting growth are less prone to develop cancer, even with a very unhealthy diet. So avoiding meat and diary (rich in growth factors IGF-1) makes sense to me and is also good for the environment, global warming and ethics.


Claudia
Last edited by Atoq on Sun Jul 01, 2018 5:09 am, edited 2 times in total.
1972, 2 kids
Dx rectal cancer 10.2017
T3N2aMX (met left lung 8 mm)
Lynch neg
CEA 1.8
Neoadjuvant chemoradio Xeloda + 25x2 Gy
05.12.17 laparotomic surg. for blockage, colostomy
25.01.18 laparotomic lar, hysterectomy, ileostomy
05.03.18 core needle lung biopsy
07.05.18 CAT scan, lung met 11 mm
04.06.18 ileo reversal
26.06.18 wedge VATS
24.08.18, 31.02.19 CAT scan
12.09.18, 06.02.19 scope, CEA 1.6
19.11.18 scope
20.08.19 CAT, eco
13.09.19 scope, CEA 1.2
18.03.20 CAT, eco, scope, NED
29.11.20 CAT, NED
2023 NED

User avatar
Atoq
Posts: 412
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:31 am

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby Atoq » Sun Jul 01, 2018 5:05 am

Double post, sorry :oops:
1972, 2 kids
Dx rectal cancer 10.2017
T3N2aMX (met left lung 8 mm)
Lynch neg
CEA 1.8
Neoadjuvant chemoradio Xeloda + 25x2 Gy
05.12.17 laparotomic surg. for blockage, colostomy
25.01.18 laparotomic lar, hysterectomy, ileostomy
05.03.18 core needle lung biopsy
07.05.18 CAT scan, lung met 11 mm
04.06.18 ileo reversal
26.06.18 wedge VATS
24.08.18, 31.02.19 CAT scan
12.09.18, 06.02.19 scope, CEA 1.6
19.11.18 scope
20.08.19 CAT, eco
13.09.19 scope, CEA 1.2
18.03.20 CAT, eco, scope, NED
29.11.20 CAT, NED
2023 NED

JudiB
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Mar 05, 2017 5:30 am

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby JudiB » Mon Jul 02, 2018 4:48 am

I too have made many of the changes that others have reported but the only advice from my oncologist was to eat walnuts! He said that, whilst all tree nuts are good, evidence suggests that walnuts are the best! I looked into utt and the evidence convinced me so, as I love walnuts. ... it's win/win!!
I now add at least 5 whole walnuts to my breakfat cereal with 5 prunes and cover it in kefir, which is another addition since my CRC and resulting ongoing bowel issues!
Love and hugs to everyone on the CRC journey.
Xxxxx
May 2004 Breast cancer lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy, Tamoxifen 5 years, then Femara 2 years.

Jan 2017 resection around colo-rectal junction
T2bN1 M0
March 2017 Chemo Folfox started. Oxaliplatin for 4 treatments, then just 5 FU and Leucovorin for remaining 8 treatments.
June 2017 clear scan
Last chemo August 2017
August 2017 clear scan
February 2018 clear scan

Deb m
Posts: 558
Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2014 10:08 am

Re: Modifications to prevent/lessen chance of recurrence

Postby Deb m » Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:25 am

We point blank asked our oncologist if there was anything we could do to increase the chance of beating cancer and avoiding a recurrence. He said take one baby aspirin daily, and to cut back on red meat and fried foods. In addition to that, he basically said everything in moderation, and to watch your weight. I specifically asked him about sugar, gluten ect. and he said studies at MDA have been done on all that and more and the only things that showed an added increase in cancer was what he told us. red meat and fried foods and obesity. He said studies also showed that baby aspirin helped in preventing the development of polyps and colon cancer. He said they only give advice and recommendations on the studies they themselves do at the hospital. They whole bottom floor there at MDA is research.


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