Brian, whilst I agree with you in principle, and I did avoid reading about my cancer on the internet, I believe that we are adults and, if we are sensible, can separate the good advice from the scaremongering.

In January of this year, having transferred my care from my London hospital to my local one, it was discovered that my cancer had spread only 10 weeks after having the primary tumours removed. The consultant said it was rare for the cancer to come back in this place (about 500 a year) but was a simple operation that if performed early enough could cure the problem.  He offered to do it but said I had to go back to the London hospital first, whcih I did.  They told me that there wouldbe no operation and chemo was my only option, and having refused this I was put on hormone therapy.

Nine months later I read on the internet that what my local consultant said was in fact true, but I was too late now as it has spread again. 

If I had read this article at the time I could well be recovering and on my way to being cancer free.  I feel sad, but also feel too ill to fight

Hi Pauline

Having read your post and digested the details of how you got to be in your present condition I am absolutely gutted for you. As patients and lay people we trust the people in charge of our healthcare implicitly. The quality of that care and level of expertise seems to vary hugely around the UK. You have been so let down (understatement) by an incompetent Hospital. I expect many on this forum myself included have a similar experience and why so many people try to get as much info as possible from every source, including unreliable ones. Its hard enough dealing with cancer but having in the back of your mind that you may need not have got to this point is totally defeating. The only way I can reconcile this in my head is the line that it had already spread by the time I was diagnosed. I doubt that my ramble has been of any good to you but I and others here know how you are feeling and wish you well. Kim

Kim, you have no idea what it means to me to have some support.  Most people have the 'cest la vie' attitude, but when you have this rotten disease you want to try to keep one step ahead of it.  I see so many people saying that research is being paid for by drug companies and therefore it is not in their interest to find a cure but this is absolute rubbish.  There are amazing people working hard to find a cure - its easy to find all the trials going on. I think you are right about the hospitals, patients seem to be leaving mine in droves!

This site is wonderful, in a short paragraph you have made me feel I am not alone.  Thanks, Kim. x

Hi  Pauline,

I am in total agreement with Kim about the poor standard of care you recieved. It does vary even in the same area as I have written below. Cancer patients go through enough without having to face situations like what you have had to deal with.

I had nothing to complain about at all with my treatment for prostate cancer. But my po.or brother in law who we have just lost, had his treatment delayed or cancelled so many times I feel he would still be with us if he had recieved treatment/ scans when they should have been done.

I also totally agree with you about this forum, Take care, sending kind thoughts and best wishes your way, Brian.

Hello there,

Thank you for starting this very interesting discussion, Brian.

At Cancer Research UK, we’re really passionate about bringing people the real stories behind the headlines. For example, you may have seen the latest news story which proclaims that a new ‘miracle drug’ will ‘cure nine in 10 cancers’, which sounds amazing, but is – on closer inspection – not quite true.

Our Blog picks up on these sorts of headlines and sorts the scientific ‘wheat’ from the sensationalist ‘chaff’, helping readers to form a more balanced opinion off the back of big, bold cancer-fighting claims.

We’d definitely recommend, if you haven’t already:

1. Bookmarking the CRUK Science Blog.

2. Taking a look at this article about absolute and relative risk, which helps to make sense of media stories; this section of the site, which has gathered together some of the more popular cancer controversies – including everything from mobile phone to deodorant use; and this helpful piece, which debunks some of the more common myths surrounding alternative therapies.

Thanks – and I do hope this is all of interest,

Helen

A friend called in very early this morning to return a borrowed item, whilst I made tea he told me of a wonderful new cure for cancer and that I ought to try it.  Oxygen.  You simply have to breath deeply of clean air for example near trees (which obviously give out oxygen) and your cancer would be cured. He read it on a link he gets in a regular email (from a "real" doctor) so it must be true. I nodded my head to humour him, thinking that perhaps he needs to be tested at a clinic for deteriorating mental faculty. If only I'd known about oxygen! I would not have submitted myself to 2 sessions of painful disfiguring and disabling surgery or put myself through a course of radiotherapy which proved worse than the surgery.. If only life was so simple!!! The problem is people really believe all this type of rubbish. 

Kim, I had this with my hairdresser. He said I should eat a tin of tomatoes a day and would be cured.  Now whenever I see him and he asks how I am I can almost hear the 'Well I told you what to do' hanging between us.  

Hi Pauline

I hope today finds you a bit happier, I'm glad its not just me that people make well meaning but ridiculous suggestions on cancer cures to. I didn't bother to explain to him that Oxygen is 21% of air and doesn't change measurably at all wherever you are or that I've spent my entire life working out doors in manual work where I'm frequently out of breath. Oxygen hasn't worked for me so perhaps I'll start on the tinned tomatoes :). 

I heard of another cancer cure just today "Dark Chocolate". This time I thought I'm taking no chances, this could well be the miracle cure we've been waiting for. I bought a large bar of 85% Dominican Republic dark chocolate. Despite only going to eat one square today half of it has gone. I dont expect a cure anytime soon but its been fun trying. Kim

Hi, Kim, I tried breathing the oxygen but, well, I wasnt impressed!  :-)  The chocolate is going down a treat though (it was just 75% cooking chocolate but any port in a storm)!  You do make me laugh, Kim, and tht is better than a tin of tomatoes anytime! x