| > | | | | went there for a week of cooking classes and |
| From the desk of Dr Magne, author of Cancer | | | | sightseeing. Today, she calls it "one of the most |
| Free For Life Ann W was 38 when breast cancer | | | | phenomenal weeks of my life. |
| came into her life. After chemotherapy, radiation, | | | | "It's "becoming increasingly more common that |
| surgery, 14 years later, she's still going strong. | | | | women with metastatic breast cancer are living |
| Ann W. said she was in remission for seven | | | | longer, and we have lots of good treatment |
| years. Since then she's been on a new generation | | | | choices that can be used." It's harder to give the |
| of drugs -- drugs that seem to work for about a | | | | same chemotherapy for years on end, usually |
| year before cancer reappears. When it does, she | | | | because of the side effects. Patients need a |
| does a round of chemotherapy or radiation, and | | | | break, but even chemo is getting "kinder and |
| switches to another drug. | | | | gentler." |
| "This has happened four times. One drug was | | | | "A patient who had liver metastases from breast |
| good for two years," she said cheerily." | | | | cancer diagnosed in the early 1990s who is still |
| Things have changed. Cancer isn't a kiss of death. | | | | doing great." (Liver metastases are generally |
| You live a good life, with a good quality of life. It's | | | | much more life-threatening than bone |
| not to say it's not scary, and yes, I'll probably die | | | | metastases). |
| of this disease, but my husband and I have tried | | | | Patients have lived with bone metastases for 10 |
| to keep a balance with it. Nobody has any | | | | to 12 years, having never needed chemo. Almost |
| guarantees," Wolz said. | | | | 213,000 U.S. women will be diagnosed with breast |
| Once breast cancer returns to spread beyond the | | | | cancer this year, and almost 41,000 will die, |
| breast, it's no longer curable -- but it can be held | | | | according to the American Cancer Society. The |
| in check, sometimes for years, depending on how | | | | vast majority survive, if the disease is caught |
| aggressive the tumor proves to be. | | | | early. |
| Ann W, "It's good to keep bones as healthy as | | | | But about 20 % of women thought to have been |
| possible and unattractive to cancer. That's the | | | | treated successfully at first nonetheless see their |
| term they use," "I have a really good quality of | | | | cancer return. But treatment is easiest if the |
| life. I've worked hard to maintain it through all the | | | | recurrence is limited to the breast area. Survival is |
| recurrences." Ann W said. | | | | much shorter if the cancer spreads aggressively |
| She travels frequently for business. And when | | | | to vital organs such as the liver, lungs or brain. |
| managing a show she's putting in 15- to 18-hour | | | | Doctors say "I don't have a crystal ball about how |
| days. On her feet. | | | | a patient is going to do. I can tell you that many |
| Her husband and family tell her not to work so | | | | patients with exactly the circumstances do very |
| much, but it's important to her to keep her | | | | well for a number of years," Carey said. "And the |
| hands-on approach to business. She sees quitting | | | | fact that she is a healthy person, and that there |
| work as letting cancer win. But she has cut down | | | | isn't a lot of the cancer, and that she doesn't |
| to about five shows a year instead of her usual | | | | have symptoms, all work in her favor." |
| 10. | | | | Cancer is no longer a death sentence. It is always |
| And when she's not working, she's not sitting | | | | a warning to take a serious look at your life. |
| around. "Life is precious and I'm not going to | | | | Survival is increased with a clean diet of fresh |
| waste my time doing things that aren't important | | | | fruit and vegetable and suppression of processed |
| to me," she said. | | | | foods laden with chemicals. A positive frame of |
| In 2004, when she was 49, she decided to make | | | | mind and a passion or interest help stimulate the |
| one of her dreams come true -- a dream of | | | | immune system and increase the person’s |
| going to Tuscany, Italy. Wolz, 12 girlfriends and | | | | will to survive. |
| one man who was a longtime friend from college | | | | |