Cancer Gone Blog | Your Guide To Beating Cancer

Early Testing And Detection Of Cancer Saves Lives

nevillemelville7@gmail.com (Neville Melville) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 12:32:56 GMT

Cancer is the silent killer

Silent cancers are cancers that do not have any noticeable early symptoms, and in such cases, patients may have no symptoms of cancer until the advanced stages. The doctor diagnoses silent cancers, usually in their advanced stages. However, in some cases, these cancers are detected during the diagnosis of other conditions. Therefore, high–risk individuals must regularly screen themselves to determine the presence of these cancers at an early stage. [1]

Some silent cancers include breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and lung cancer. The symptoms to look out for are listed here. LINK https://www.hcgoncology.com/blog/6-silent-cancers-that-you-need-to-keep-an-eye-on/

These cancers can be prevented through screening: [2]

Breast
Cervical
Colon
Lung

In its Tweet, CDC (@CDC_Cancer) says, “Screening tests can find #breast, #cervical, and #ColonCancer early, when treatment is likely to work best. #LungCancer screening is recommended for some people who are at high risk. #Cancer doesn't wait and neither should you.”

As we have lost two friends to late stage cancers in the last six months alone, we whole-heartedly endorse this advice. Read more .

TYPES OF TESTING

If you have a symptom or a screening test result that suggests cancer, your doctor will find out whether it is due to cancer or some other cause. There is no single test that can diagnose cancer. So your doctor may start by asking about your personal and family medical history and doing a physical exam. They may order lab tests, imaging tests (scans), or other tests or procedures. You may also need a biopsy, which is often the only way to tell for sure if you have cancer.

Certain blood tests can detect cancer in the body by identifying specific markers, cells, or substances produced by cancer cells. However, these tests are often not sufficient on their own to diagnose cancer.

Read more LINK https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/diagnosis

National Cancer Institute

[1] https://www.hcgoncology.com/blog/6-silent-cancers-that-you-need-to-keep-an-eye-on/

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/prevention/screening.html

"The Viking gene survey helped find my cancer"

A Shetland woman has been telling how a search for a gene variant alerted her to her breast cancer diagnosis.

Christine Glaser, from Whalsay, had been a participant in Viking Genes, a research project that looked at the genetic make up of people from the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

Since those tests were taken, the understanding of the significance of certain genes has improved and last year geneticists sought special permissions to go back to those who took part in the study to ask if they wanted to know their results.

Although she had lost a sister to ovarian cancer, the family was unaware many of them carried a BRCA 2 gene variant that increased their risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. Christine’s cancer was caught early and successfully treated.

EARLY DIAGNOSIS- WHAT A DIFFERENCE

COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

According to the American Cancer Society, these are some of the more common signs and symptoms that may be caused by cancer. [1] However, any of these can be caused by other problems as well.

Fatigue or extreme tiredness that doesn’t get better with rest.
Weight loss or gain of 10 pounds or more for no known reason.
Eating problems such as not feeling hungry, trouble swallowing, belly pain, or nausea and vomiting.
Swelling or lumps anywhere in the body.
Thickening or lump in the breast or other part of the body.
Pain, especially new or with no known reason, that doesn’t go away or gets worse.
Skin changes such as a lump that bleeds or turns scaly, a new mole or a change in a mole, a sore that does not heal, or a yellowish color to the skin or eyes (jaundice).
Cough or hoarseness that does not go away.
Unusual bleeding or bruising for no known reason.
Change in bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhea, that doesn’t go away or a change in how your stools look.
Bladder changes such as pain when passing urine, blood in the urine or needing to pass urine more or less often.
Fever or nights sweats.
Headaches.
Vision or hearing problems.
Mouth changes such as sores, bleeding, pain, or numbness.

The signs and symptoms listed above are the more common ones seen with cancer, but there are many others that are not listed here. If you notice any major changes in the way your body works or the way you feel – especially if it lasts for a long time or gets worse – let a doctor know.

Women: 20 Signs you should not ignore

PRESSURE FOR EARLY DETECTION

According to the charity Cancer Research UK , about 20,000 deaths could be avoided every year in the UK by 2040 if ministers adopted a bold new plan to speed up diagnosis and get people treated quickly.

The NHS has already set a target to diagnose 75% of cancers at the earliest stages of 1 or 2 by 2028. [2]

testing required.

GET TESTED FOR CANCER ROUTINELY- FUTURE YOU AND FUTURE YOU’S GRANDCHILDREN WILL THANK YOU.

[1] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/diagnosis-staging/signs-and-symptoms-of-cancer.html

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/nov/28/thousands-dying-needlessly-cancer-uk-report

The Power of Love and Affection: Helping Cancer Patients Heal

nevillemelville7@gmail.com (Neville Melville) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 11:45:09 GMT

"The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others"

- Albert Schweitzer

Psychologists have proven that love is a fundamental human need. Being in loving relationships and spending consistent, in-person time with our loved ones may actually reduce the inflammation present in our bodies. [1]

Abandonment

Sadly, just when a person needs love and support the most, after being diagnosed with and treated for cancer, they are often abandoned: As many as one in four newly-diagnosed cancer patients lacks social support. [2]

Researchers found that people with colorectal cancer saw a reduction in affection, social interaction and practical and emotional support after surgery for up to two years afterwards. [3]

Some emotional support can help them heal better from the disease… if such patients experience loss of emotional support there is a higher risk of them suffering from depression and anxiety.

“No one to talk to, no one to give them a hug when they’re feeling down, no one to cook them a meal when they’re wiped out from chemotherapy,”

Lend A Helping Hand

In its tweet, CDC Cancer (@CDC_Cancer), says:

“It’s normal for #cancer patients and survivors to feel anxious, afraid, angry, or depressed. If you know a cancer patient or survivor, take a moment today to call, text, or video chat with them [4] …

Your support as a caregiver, family member, or friend, can help survivors in your life stay healthy. [5]

We recommend CDS’s article Helping People with Cancer Stay Healthy for helpful advice on ways you can support cancer survivors, as well as links to advice given by other organisations.

[1] https://www.templeton.org/news/without-love-we-perish

[2] https://bbc.com/news/health-21380607

[3] https://www.indiatimes.com/health/healthyliving/love-and-affection-is-what-they-need-after-their-cancer-treatment-263762.html

[4] https://bit.ly/3Vit3kc

[5] https://bit.ly/3UShkZs

Do your bit

Supporting the infirm is supposed to be one of the things that separates us from the animals- we need to try harder as a society.

A parting word of advice: It comes across as pretty thoughtless if you say something like, “Just call if you need help.”

Rather, think of some practical way in which you can help, such as taking the person a home cooked meal, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, taking the kids off their hands to give them a break and only then ask, “Is there anything else I can help with?”

Cancer Survivors: Don’t be too proud to ask

If it is you who has the cancer and need help, don’t be afraid to ask friends and family. People are very often so caught up in their own lives that they don’t give any thought to how cancer may have impacted your ability to lead a normal life, with its myriad of chores and responsibilities.

If those close to you are not forthcoming, try to find out is there are any government agencies, charitable or religious organizations or support groups in your area that might be available to assist.

You can find more useful advice in this article on the CANCER CARE site: Coping With Cancer When You’re On Your Own: How to Get the Support You Need

Reboot Your Immune System

nevillemelville7@gmail.com (Neville Melville) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 10:40:56 GMT

Just as cancer is an attack on your body from within, the treatment or cure for cancer could also come from within.

YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

“The immune system protects the body against illness and infection that bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites can cause. It is a collection of reactions and responses that the body makes to damaged cells or infection.

The immune system can help to fight cancer

Some cells of the immune system can recognise cancer cells as abnormal and kill them. But this may not be enough to get rid of a cancer altogether.” [1]

As with real life wars, sometimes the defences can be overwhelmed by an aggressive enemy. It is then that they need a little support from an ally. In the case of cancer, that might be chemotherapy, which unfortunately does not always help in swaying the battle in the favour of your body and immune system. Fortunately, there are other promising developments.

[1] https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/body-systems-and-cancer/the-immune-system-and-cancer

TREATMENTS USING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO FIGHT CANCER.

CAR-T Therapy

A breakthrough treatment has shown remarkable regression in the size of tumour caused by glioblastoma - a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumour - which invades the nearby brain tissue, but generally does not spread to distant organs

Doctors say glioblastoma has a very high fatality rate - only 3-5 per cent of patients diagnosed with this type of tumour survive for more than three years. But the experimental therapy, which reprogrammes a person's own immune system to attack these tumours reported dramatic results.

In some cases, tumours seemingly melted away on brain scans by the next day, the outlet said in the report. Three studies have observed the new therapy, called CAR-T that is delivered directly to the brain. [2]

Attack T-cell

A newly-discovered part of our immune system could be harnessed to treat all cancers:

The Cardiff team discovered a T-cell and its receptor that could find and kill a wide range of cancerous cells in the lab including lung, skin, blood, colon, breast, bone, prostate, ovarian, kidney and cervical cancer cells.

The idea is that a blood sample would be taken from a cancer patient.

Their T-cells would be extracted and then genetically modified so they were reprogrammed to make the cancer-finding receptor. [3]

The Magic Tablet

Patients with aggressive, incurable cancers saw their tumours stop growing after they began taking a twice-a-day tablet.

The experimental drug, called ceralasertib, is designed to stop the tumour's cells from repairing themselves, causing them to die.

Researchers gave 67 patients who had not responded to conventional treatment the pills. In the early stage of the trial, more than half saw their tumours stop growing, while others did not see their cancer progress for at least three years.

Experts believe the drug could be combined with immune-boosting cancer treatments to increase their effectiveness.

Known as immunotherapy, they are offered to around one in ten cancer patients in the UK. They work by training the immune system to find and kill cancer cells. [4]

[1] What Is Cancer - Cancer Research UK

[2] Cancer Breakthrough Therapy Makes Brain Tumour Disappear

LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION THE KEY

Anticancer has been a bestselling phenomenon since Viking first published it in fall 2008. Now, a new edition addresses current developments in cancer research and offers more tips on how people living with cancer can fight it and how healthy people can prevent it. The new edition of Anticancer includes:

A groundbreaking study showing that lifestyle modification, as originally proposed in Anticancer, reduces mortality for breast cancer by an astounding 68 percent after completion of treatment

[4] Immune discovery 'may treat all cancer ' - BBC News Health

[5] Daily pills may be answer to incurable cancer as patients with aggressive disease see tumors stop growing - Daily Mail

IMMUNE SYSTEM R & R

Have you noticed that people are the healthiest and live the longest when they live in places like rural Sardinia, Italy, isolated from modern industrial society? [1] Instead of fighting their way to get to the office though the toxic fumes on the highway, people there live a traditional, laid back life; walk lots; eat simply; and spend lots of time with family.

A failing immune system can often be attributed to the pressures of the modern lifestyle.

To give your immune system a fighting chance, give it some Rest and Recreation: Change your lifestyle if at all possible.

This includes:

Avoiding further contact with things that cause cancer.
Rejuvenating your body, mind and soul.
Changing your diet.
Using alternative and complementary treatments.
Watch out for our upcoming blogs on these topics.

AVOID STRESS

Stress can weaken your immune system, leaving you prone to diseases like cancer.

Stress hormones can inhibit a process called anoikis, which kills diseased cells and prevents them from spreading... Chronic stress also increases the production of certain growth factors that increase your blood supply. This can speed the development of cancerous tumors. [2]

[6] Blue Zone Super Agers - Business Insider

[7] How stress affects cancer risk - MD Anderson

BOOKS TO HELP YOU

Immune Reboot by Dr. Robert G. Silverman

Cancer by the Numbers

nevillemelville7@gmail.com (Neville Melville) — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 13:07:39 GMT

I will survive

When told they have cancer, many people ask their doctor what their chance of survival is. While there are many factors that go into an answer, there are statistics that may help. Statistics are numbers that describe what happens to large groups of people with the same diagnosis. Statistics cannot be applied to a specific person but may give some idea of what to expect.

Here are some statistics that are used for cancer:

Survival rate: the percentage of people who are alive at a certain time after diagnosis.

Overall survival rate: the percentage of people with a certain type and stage of cancer who have not died from any cause during a period of time after diagnosis.

Cancer (or disease)-specific survival rate: the percentage of people with a certain type and stage of cancer who have not died from their cancer during a set period of time after diagnosis.

5-year relative survival rate: the percentage of people who will be alive 5 years after diagnosis. It does not include those who die from other diseases.

Survival rates can describe any length of time. However, researchers usually look at 5-year relative survival rates.

Credit: cancer.org

Factors That Can Affect Your Prognosis (how the disease will go for you).

Some of the factors that affect prognosis include:

• the type of cancer and where it is in your body

• the stage of the cancer, which refers to the size of the cancer and if it has spread to other parts of your body

• the cancer’s grade , which refers to how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope and provides clues

about how quickly the cancer is likely to grow and spread

• certain traits of the cancer cells, such as certain genetic changes or hormone receptor status

• your age and how healthy you were before cancer

• how you respond to treatment

How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Cancer of Any Site?

Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

People That Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Cancer of Any Site.

The Medical News Today website provides a very useful breakdown of survival rates for different types of cancer. It also lists factors that influence survival rates and chemotherapy success rates:

Source: National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service – Public Health England

Having an Indomitable Spirit: Sisu

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 12:19:19 GMT

We mentioned in the dreadful diagnosis article that the people we know who beat cancer all had a positive attitude. In this regard, they are reminiscent of the Vikings, an ancient warrior nation. The Vikings lived by a code of persistence that has been carried down into the Finnish concept of Sisu.

Sisu:

Extraordinary endurance in the face of adversity, tenacity, indomitable spirit.

Think like a warrior

While a positive mindset will certainly assist you in dealing with cancer, you should also consult with your doctor to find the best treatment plan for you.

Cancer is not for sissies, so consider turning your back on being a victim and adopt a warrior mindset. As everyone is different, this might not be an approach that suits your temperament and world view. Not to worry, there are plenty of other resources and information on this site that will certainly be of benefit to you.

If you are up for a bit of fun, adopt a Viking Warrior avatar, like the founders of this site have done. We explain the power of laughter in the LAUGH IT OFF BLOG (coming soon).

If the thought of being like a Viking in your battle against cancer doesn't appeal to you, you might prefer to think of yourself as a different sort of warrior, such as:

Ninja
Samurai
Zulu
Gerka
Ancient Roman
Spartan
Gladiator
Native American

Female

Amazon warrior
Viking Shield Maiden
Joan of Arc
Boudica (Boadicea) (means victory)

Cancer Warrior by Ruth Levine

Ruth Levine was diagosed with stage IV colorectal cancer. Along with conventional treatment, she utilitzed exercise, nutrition, laughter therapy, imagery and reiki to overcome it. This is her story of the journey.

DON’T GIVE UP

PLEDGE

If this does not go against your faith,make a decision right now to adopt the Viking ethos of Sisu.

Pledge that:

“I will not be defeated by cancer, no matter what it takes. I will fight it like a Viking Warrior wielding a sword and a shield.”

(The Vikings took pledges very seriously: https://www.vikingwarriorshirts.com/blogs/news/viking-oaths-the-power-of-oaths-sworn-by-norse-vikings).

Or, adopting the advice from The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, imagine the cancer is already defeated and you are restored to perfect health.

Her advice is based on the biblical passage Mark 11:24 New King James Version :

”Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Our article on the power of the Mind is coming soon.

BOOKS TO HELP YOU

The Cancer Survivors Club by Chris Geiger

“It shows that with courage, determination and a positive attitude, cancer can be beaten.”

Bob Champion MBE

The Cancer Survivors Club is a collection of truly inspirational, uplifting and assuring survival stories. These poignant personal accounts from normal people, demonstrate an extraordinary determination to survive against the odds. It proves with survival rates doubling, anything is possible.

Positive Attitude Journal: Change the way you think and beat the Cancer by Vytautas Narbutas

Get MOTIVATED At the start of each day's journal, you will read motivational and inspirational quotes from people in all walks of life. The aim of this is to start your day right: Motivated and inspired to be the best you can be.

Living with Cancer - A Journey of Hope: My personal story of the power of positive thinking by Margot Larson

When you hear or suspect a cancer diagnosis, there is usually no time for long-winded philosophy, or pouring through mountains of data. You need down-to-earth, common sense guidance and you need it quickly. You need a guide to help you navigate the rough waters. A Journey of Hope can inspire readers to build their emotional strength and courage in order to convert chaos into manageable bites.

We wish you peace and healing, both physical and spiritual.

SKOLL! (Viking shout of encouragement to each other in battle.)

Cancer Grade and Stages

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:02:00 GMT

Cancer grade

Cancer grade is a measure of how abnormal the cancer cells appear under a microscope. More abnormal cells tend to grow and spread at a faster rate.

Cancer stage

Cancer stage indicates how large a tumor is and how far its cells have spread. A doctor can use various systems to determine what stage a cancer has reached.

They may use the following 0–5 scaling system:

Stage 1 usually means that a cancer is small and contained within the organ it started in
Stage 2 usually means that the tumour is larger than in stage 1 but the cancer hasn't started to spread into the surrounding tissues. Sometimes stage 2 means that cancer cells have spread into lymph nodes close to the tumour. This depends on the particular type of cancer
Stage 3 usually means the cancer is larger. It may have started to spread into surrounding tissues and there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes nearby.
Stage 4 cancer is an advanced cancer. It means that the cancer has spread beyond its original location and into other areas of the body. Stage 4 cancer isn’t usually curable, but treatment may improve overall survival and quality of life.

Cancer stages according to Cancer Research UK

Learn more about Cancer Staging and Tumor Grade

Cancer Survival Rates and Stages

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 12:02:13 GMT

Cancer survival rates are one way to show how effective various treatments, including chemotherapy, can be.

A survival rate refers to the percentage of people who live for a certain amount of time after a cancer diagnosis.

The Medical News Today Website provides a very useful breakdown of survival rates for different types of cancer. It also lists factors that influence survival rates and chemotherapy success rates:

Cancer survival by stage at diagnosis for England (experimental statistics):

Cancer Grade

Cancer grade is a measure of how abnormal the cancer cells appear under a microscope. More abnormal cells tend to grow and spread at a faster rate.

Cancer Stage

Cancer stage indicates how large a tumor is and how far its cells have spread. A doctor can use various systems to determine what stage a cancer has reached.

They may use the following 0–5 scaling system:

Stage 1 usually means that a cancer is small and contained within the organ it started in.
Stage 2 usually means that the tumour is larger than in stage 1 but the cancer hasn't started to spread into the surrounding tissues. Sometimes stage 2 means that cancer cells have spread into lymph nodes close to the tumour. This depends on the particular type of cancer.
Stage 3 usually means the cancer is larger. It may have started to spread into surrounding tissues and there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes nearby.
Stage 4 cancer is an advanced cancer. It means that the cancer has spread beyond its original location and into other areas of the body. Stage 4 cancer isn’t usually curable, but treatment may improve overall survival and quality of life.

Stages of Cancer according to cancer research UK

Source: National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service – Public Health England

Notes:

1. People aged 15 to 99 at diagnosis.

2. Survival estimates take into account the normal rates of death in the general population and net survival is a measure of the extra deaths caused by the specific cancer. For some stage 1 & 2 cancer patients their net survival is greater than 100% which means there are fewer deaths among this cohort compared to the general population. This may be explained by people after diagnosis reducing risk factors associated with poor health, for example stopping smoking. Also because they now see a doctor more often, other health issues may be dealt with. The effect of these changes might be larger than the death rate for that cancer, especially for low-mortality cancers like prostate or melanoma. People diagnosed with early-stage cancer tend to be less deprived, and this might also contribute to lower than average mortality.

Prognosis: Cancer Cure Versus Cancer Remission

nevillemelville7@gmail.com (Neville Melville) — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 12:01:35 GMT

Cancer cure

A cure means that the cancer has gone away with treatment, no more treatment is needed, and the cancer is not expected to come back.

It’s rare that a doctor can be sure that cancer will never come back. In most cases it takes time to know if the cancer might come back. But, the longer a person is cancer free, the better the chance that the cancer will not come back.

More often, when treatment appears to be successful, doctors will say the cancer is “in remission,” rather than “cured.”

cancer remission

Remission is a period of time when the cancer is responding to treatment or is under control. Some people think that remission means the cancer has been cured, but that may not be the case.

In a complete remission, all the signs and symptoms of cancer go away, and cancer cells can’t be found by any tests.

In a partial remission, the cancer shrinks but doesn’t completely go away.

Remissions can last anywhere from weeks to years. Treatment may or may not continue during a remission, depending on the type of cancer. Complete remissions may go on for years and, over time, the cancer may be thought to be cured. If the cancer returns (recurrence), another remission may be possible with more treatment.

Credit: Cancer.org [ 1 ]

If you remain in complete remission for 5 years or more, some doctors may say that you are cured. Still, some cancer cells can remain in your body for many years after treatment. These cells may cause the cancer to come back one day. For cancers that return, most do so within the first 5 years after treatment. But there is a chance that cancer will come back later. For this reason, doctors cannot say for sure that you are cured. The most they can say is that there are no signs of cancer at this time.

Because of the chance that cancer can come back, your doctor will monitor you for many years and do tests to look for signs of cancer’s return. They will also look for signs of late effects from the cancer treatments you received.

Credit Cancer.gov [ 2 ]

The Doctor Was Stunned - A Cancer Survival Story

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 12:01:07 GMT

Cancer The Doctor was stunned: My cancer was gone

Hi, I am Jim Barry and this is my story of how I beat cancer .

I have been a black cab driver in London for the last 30 years. It is not a particularly healthy lifestyle with irregular hours and sitting for long periods of time in traffic, breathing in fumes.

Sometimes I am away from home days at a time and end up grabbing some sleep in the cab.

It is not easy to eat healthy meals whilst working although I do try to take prepared food from home and have always been a big fruit eater. I prefer a hot meal but it has not been easy to find a decent meal with cooked vegetables at a reasonable price and I would often grab a pie or snack and mug of tea.

in 2016, I started to sense things were not as they should be. This was concerning as for many years I had very rarely had the need to consult a doctor, but my instinct was telling me all was not right. In August 2016, I experience a bout of sickness when on holiday in Australia - I put it down to something I had eaten but this is not something that had ever happened before and I would have described myself as having a cast iron constitution regarding reaction to food.

As the months progressed, I found I had to go to the toilet regularly and would pass cat-like poops - small and passed with a certain force. Occasionally, I found there were traces of pink. I never experienced any great pain but rather discomfort on occasions.

I finally went to the doctor in December 2016 and he got me to do a bowel cancer test. I was then sent to the hospital for a colonoscopy and it was confirmed that I had lower rectal cancer at stage 3, which was inoperable in its present state.

They would need to treat me with a course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to reduce the size of the cancer, which was very close to the bowel wall and lymph glands. The plan was to remove the cancer once it had shrunken sufficiently for it to be possible to do so. After the operation was performed, I would, however, have to live with a double colostomy bag.

When I heard this, I was gripped by a feeling of intense dread. This was heightened even further when I recovered my composure sufficiently to ask the doctor how long I would have to live if I didn’t have the operation. His matter-of-fact answer was like a punch to the stomach: “Four months.”

After receiving the devastating news, a profound sense of despair settled in. However, a conversation with a colleague began to change that. When I shared my terrible news, she urged me not to lose hope. Her partner, Fatos, had faced advanced cancer in multiple areas of his body. She later showed me a PET scan that highlighted the cancerous regions in vivid red, resembling a canvas splattered with paintball shots.

Remarkably, she explained that he had been treating himself with THC oil. A second PET scan revealed a dramatic transformation: the majority of the red areas had vanished, leaving only faint pink dots. Years later, Fatos remained fit and healthy, free from cancer.

Hearing of and having seen the evidence of Fatos‘s recovery was a turning point for me. It dispelled my fear and made me confident that I, too, could beat my cancer.

I decided at this point that I would not have the surgery but would try a different path. When I mentioned this to the surgeon, I am sure he thought this was a panic reaction and that, of course, I would choose to have the surgery to save my life. I did, however, go through with the chemo-radiotherapy and should have visited the surgeon a few weeks afterwards.

Strangely enough, the hospital records seemed temporarily to be lost. It turned out they had put my name down as Barry James rather than James Barry, meaning that I never received an appointment card for several months. This bought me time to pursue my alternative methods without pressure from my family or the medical team.

From the moment I was diagnosed, I read every piece of information I could on cancer and pH levels in the body, the effects of THC and CBD oil and anything else I could find. My son Adrian, who was 32 at the time, galvanized into action and decided that I should adopt an organic vegan lifestyle. Red meat was definitely off my menu.

Adrian had a food parcel delivered to our home every week containing daily ingredients and recipes and my wife Pam prepared the meals every day. I can't say I enjoyed them but I respected my son and stuck with it. Adrian was insistent that I only ate “whole foods”, not tinned or processed foods in packets . I also cut out sugar and carbs completely, to starve the cancer.

Based on what I had read about changing the body's PH levels, I started to eat lemons (skin, pips, pulp etc), broccoli, kale, spinach, blueberries and took cumin capsules and diluted apple cider vinegar. I also took bicarbonate of soda.

I investigated where I could buy good quality CBD oil as I was convinced this would help and found a health shop in Putney that stocked an oil that was really strong. The cancer sufferer Fatos also gave me some THC oil of which I needed only to take enough to cover a pin’s head. In my enthusiasm, I initially exceeded that dosage, but soon regretted it- I felt as if I was having a heart attack. After that, I used it sparingly.

My wife Pam also suggested I visit a Chinese herbalist she had used for acupuncture and he gave me a small jar of herbs to take. He said one of his patients had taken these and cured their bowel cancer. I took the Chinese herbs for a couple of weeks.

Above all, I constantly assured my family all would be well and I was absolutely convinced that some or all of what I was doing would get rid of the cancer.

At some point, I had asked a nurse at the hospital what cancer looked like and she told me it was white. I remembered this one day when I checked the toilets bowl after a movement and noticed a white blob. To my mind, I had passed the cancer. Even if it turns out I was wrong, it does not matter - it was enough that I believed it, thereby strengthening my positive attitude.

When the hospital did eventually get my files sorted (some 5 months later), I was called in for a scan to see if the cancer had shrunk sufficiently for them to be able to operate. Pam was waiting nervously in the car park but, once again, I completely believed that I would be OK.

As the doctor did his investigation with the ultrasound scan, he seemed unable to locate the cancer as he moved the probe about on my stomach. Eventually. he found what he thought was the cancer and said that, at least, it didn’t seem to have grown. Then he realized he was mistaken: What he was looking at was actually scar tissue.

He turned to me and said these words that I shall forever cherish: “The tumour is gone.” He had a look of shock on his face and said I was in that small 1% category where this happened. He had never personally witnessed such a thing.

I was overcome with joy at hearing I had been reprieved of my death sentence and rushed out to break the good news to Pam in the parking lot. I phoned everyone I could think of to share my good news, including the most cynical person I know, my brother-in-law Nev. He later convinced me to make this video.

I truly believe I was healed as the result of my own interventions and some or all of what I did had somehow shrunk the tumour.

Six years on, I regularly go for colonoscopies every six months and will have to do this for another 4 years - a small price to pay to save myself having to live with a double colostomy-bag and, more importantly, to be free of cancer.

Obviously, I can’t say exactly what it was that cured my cancer nor guarantee that anything I did contributed towards the cure but my belief is that somewhere in that combination of methods, my cancer disappeared. I feel certain my positive attitude also contributed to the favourable outcome.

I would say is you or a member of your family is diagnosed with cancer, don't give up. Gather information and try whatever you feel is right for you - at the end of the day, everything I did off my own bat was unconventional but, for me, it worked.

Spotting cancer at an early stage saves lives, so it is important to tell your doctor as soon as possible if you notice anything that isn’t normal for you.

Cancer Research UK www.cancerresearchuk.org

Watch My YouTube Video on How I Beat Cancer

DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE

The information contained on this article is for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking any new health care regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen in this video.

Footnotes and references:

Positron emission tomography
Tetrahydrocannabinol is the major psychoactive component found in cannabis. synthetic formulations of THC have been FDA approved to manage chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting Currently, cannabis is legal for medical purposes in over 50% of the states, and seventeen states permit products that are high in cannabidiol (CBD) and low in THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) for medical use. Its use however is prohibited in any product by the Food and Drug Administration,w ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Red meat is classed as a probable cause of cancer .
Large-scale study explores genetic link between colorectal cancer and meat intake .
Ultra-processed foods may be linked to increased risk of cancer .
According to The American Institute for Cancer Research : There’s no clear evidence that the sugar in your diet preferentially feeds tumors over other cells. There is a connection between sugar and cancer risk, however, but it’s more indirect than many realize. Eating a lot of high-sugar foods may mean more calories in your diet than you need, which eventually leads to excess body fat. After not smoking, being at a healthy weight is the most important thing you can do to prevent cancer. Jung-whan Kim, Ph.D. of the University of Texas at Dallas received a research grant from the American Lung to study the connection between glucose (sugar) and squamous cell carcinoma, a type of lung cancer that accounts for 25 to 30 percent of all lung cancers. Kim and his team have found that sugar serves as an energy supply for this kind of lung cancer, aiding in the tumor's growth and survival( https://www.lung.org/blog/sugar-and-lung-cancer )
For confirmation of Nigella Sativa (black cumin)’s effectiveness against cancer, see: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3252704/. As is the case with most alternative remedies, the jury is still out with regards to the usefulness of an alkaline diet to treat cancer: https://www.healthline.com/health/apple-cider-vinegar-cancer#risks
Qi et al. (42) found that (Traditional Chinese medicine) TCM-based adjuvant therapy can not only delay tumor progression and enhance immune function but also enhance the sensitivity to chemotherapy, reduce the chemotherapy-induced side effects (e.g., gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting and respiratory infections), and protect liver function, so as to alleviate radiotherapy or chemotherapy-induced fatigue( https://apm.amegroups.org/article/view/2239%20/3341)
Why early cancer diagnosis is important .

Causes Of Cancer

Fri, 03 May 2024 14:40:13 GMT

Just as there are many forms of cancer, so too are there many different causes of cancer.

Weakened immune system

Weakened Body

Due to diabetes, chronic illness, obesity and old age.
Stress can weaken your immune system, leaving you prone to diseases like cancer.

Stress hormones can inhibit a process called anoikis, which kills diseased cells and prevents them from spreading, Sood says. Chronic stress also increases the production of certain growth factors that increase your blood supply. This can speed the development of cancerous tumors,

How stress affects cancer risk

Red Meat .

Accumulation of toxic free radicals and oxidative stress secondary to smoking, alcohol, obesity and chronic inflammatory processes.

Chronic infections

Bacteria helicobater pylori [cancer of the stomach],
Viruses such as: Human Papiloma Virus (cancer of the cervix, skin and penis), Epstein Barr Virus (nasopharyngeal carcinoma),
Hepatitis viruses such as Hepatitis B, C (hepatocellular carcinoma);

Viruses: An estimated 15 percent of all human cancers worldwide may be attributed to viruses

Epstein-Barr virus, human papilloma virus, hepatitis B virus, and human herpes virus-8 are the four DNA viruses that are capable of causing the development of human cancers. Human T lymphotrophic virus type 1 and hepatitis C viruses are the two RNA viruses that contribute to human cancers. [1]

Parasites such as shistosomiasis (bladder cancer) and
Fungus such as Aspergilus flavus (hepatocellular carcinoma)

Chronic inflammation

For example colorectal cancer developing in patients with Crohns colitis and ulcerative colitis.

Chronic non-healing ulcers

F or example squamous cell carcinoma developing in patients with chronic traumatic ulcers of the skin.

Gastric ulcers

Ulcers are sometimes thought to lead to cancer. H. pylori, abacteria that causes ulcers, may be a factor leading to stomach cancer. Gastritis and intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa are often found but are generally thought to be a result, rather than an early sign, of gastric cancer. [1]

Microplastics

Microplastics are associated with cancer .

Cell phones

Cancer Research UK www.cancerresearchuk.org ^[2]

Around one-third of deaths from cancer are due to:

Tobacco use.
High body mass index.
Alcohol consumption,read more (There is sufficient evidence that reduction or cessation of alcohol consumption reduces the incidence of cancers of the oral cavity and the oesophagus, limited evidence for cancers of the larynx, colorectum, and breast [3] ).
Processed foods in packets.
Low fruit and vegetable intake.
Lack of physical activity.

Hereditary cancer syndromes: There are more than 50 known hereditary cancer syndromes; [1] Persons carrying mutations for hereditary cancer syndromes are at high risk for the development of tumors at an early age, as well as the synchronous or metachronous development of multiple tumors of the corresponding tumor spectrum. The genetic causes of many hereditary cancer syndromes have already been identified. About 5% of all cancers are part of a hereditary cancer syndrome. [2]

Footnotes and references:

[1] Four DNA viruses that are capable of causing the development of human

[2] Two studies associate microplastic exposure with cancer

[3] Cancer: Strong Signal for Cell Phone Effects

[4] The inconvenient truth about cancer and mobile phones

[5] Stomach Cancer

[6] Why is early cancer diagnosis important?

[7] IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention Volume 20A: Reduction or Cessation of Alcohol Consumption

[7] WHO World health organization cancer fact sheets

UPDATes:

JulY 1, 2024

A new study by Oncology Times found that 78% of adults with #cancer reported drinking, with 13% drinking "more than moderately" and 23% binge drinking, emphasizing the need for oncologists to address substance use, as it can lead to complications during care.

Dealing With The Dreadful Cancer Diagnosis

Thu, 02 May 2024 14:40:14 GMT

Cancer is called a dread disease by the insurance companies for good reason.

Being told you have cancer is a bit like the captain of the Titanic being told his ship has hit an iceberg. Life will never be quite the same again.

I have lived in fear of cancer since the age of six, when my father died of it. In 2007, I came to know first-hand the feeling of terror when you are told you have cancer- I was diagnosed with stage 2 bladder cancer.

Thinking back, I wonder if Rhonda Byrne is not correct in saying in her book, The Secret, that you attract whatever you fear.

What I am certain of is that, of the many people I have known who got cancer, those who beat it all have one thing in common: A positive attitude .

Of course, that will be the last thing on your mind if you have just been told you’ve got cancer.

A Chance of Life

It is admittedly difficult to take any positives from having cancer, but, unlike a fatal heart attack or stroke, at least cancer usually progresses fairly slowly.

This gives you the opportunity to:

Seek a cure
Live life as fully as possible and achieve those things you have been putting off
Put your personal and business affairs in order.

ARM YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE

This site aims to assist you by sourcing information about cancer treatments from reliable sources. Armed with this knowledge, you will be able to formulate the best approach to deal with your particular type of cancer.

The first thing that will happen after the shock wears off is that you will move into the mourning process. You will mourn not for death but:

the loss of life as you knew it,
the loss of your future dreams and ambitions,
the loss of the expectation to live to a ripe old age and meet your grandchildren
the loss of your once healthy, cancer free body.

In her book, On Grief and Grieving, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, identified five stages of mourning : Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Not everyone goes through all of them, or necessarily in that order.

Denial

In this stage, the world becomes meaningless and overwhelming. Life makes no sense. You will be in a state of shock and denial.

Anger

The more you truly feel your anger, the more it will begin to dissipate and the more you will heal. Your anger may be directed at life, God, The Universe, the cancer, your body and anything else that comes to mind. You might ask, “Why me, of all the people in the World, God? Here’s the thing: The chances of getting cancer are not as remote as those of winning the lottery, but one in two. Focus on the fact that by no means do all the people who get cancer die from it. Some survival statistics are listed further on in this article.

Just a word of warning about anger and bitterness: They, in themselves, constitute a serious threat to good health. Best ditch them.

Bargaining

After a loss, bargaining may take the form of a temporary truce. “What if I devote the rest of my life to helping others?” We become lost in a maze of “If only…” or “What if…” statements.

Offer the same kind of encouragement and kind words to yourself that you would give to a friend. In essence, give yourself a break. [1]

Depression

Empty feelings present themselves, and grief enters your live on a deeper level… This depressive stage feels as though it will last forever. It’s important to understand that this depression is not a sign of mental illness. It is the appropriate response to a great loss (health you)... Depression after a loss is too often seen as unnatural: a state to be fixed, something to snap out of.

Acceptance

Acceptance is often confused with the notion of being “all right” or “OK” with what has happened. What it means is coming to terms with the fact you have cancer. Once you have done that, you need to resist slumping into a fatalistic frame of mind (“If it is meant to be…”) or seeing yourself as a victim.

You must move swiftly on to this new sixth step that is appropriate for dealing with cancer:

Rejection of the cancer

Just because you got the cancer doesn’t mean the cancer will get you.

An ever increasing number of people manage to conquer cancer: It does not have to be a death sentence. My wife, Lily, this year celebrates being free of her stage 3 colon cancer for 21 years.

Five cancers are considered to be curable: [2]

Prostate Cancer: People alive 5 years after diagnosis: About 99%
Thyroid Cancer: People alive 5 years after diagnosis: about 98%
Testicular Cancer: People alive 5 years after a diagnosis: 95.1%
Melanoma: People alive 5 years after a diagnosis: 94%
Breast Cancer: People alive 5 years after a diagnosis: early stages of 0 and 1 - 99% to 100%

The earlier cancer is detected and diagnosed, the better the chance of treating it successfully. But even if you are told your cancer has progressed to STAGE lV, there is hope.

I met someone who survived Stage lV pancreatic cancer and there are many YouTube videos that tell of people who likewise beat it. Here is an example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42-CqtYTI9s

YOUR CHOICE

It is neither inevitable that you will die from cancer or that you will survive it. You can however, improve your chances of beating cancer.

The approach you choose to take in dealing with your cancer is a deeply personal decision and one that is yours alone to make: It is your life after all.

If you decide to commit yourself to overcoming your cancer, we suggest you consider adopting a SISU state of mind .

This site seeks to be a first port of call in the search for reliable information regarding the latest developments in cancer research and treatment.

Should you, however, decide, rather than devoting yourself to pursuing a cure for your cancer, to make the most of the time you have left, no one can fault you for that. Read on.

EMBRACE LIFE

No matter what your prognosis or decision, treat the cancer diagnosis as a turning point in your life. Let it serve to remind you how short and precious life is. Being diagnosed with cancer gives you reason to re-evaluate what is important in life and what you still want to achieve; what you want your legacy to be.

Cancer Gone seeks out and shares the latest available information from reliable sources in order to assist you in making the right choices for your particular situation.

Of no lesser importance, the site was created to provide hope in trying circumstances. The most important thing for you, however, is to seek peace in your mind and soul. No matter how unpleasant the prospect, death is an inevitable part of life.

The time might come, however, when despite your best efforts to overcome the cancer, you know your end is near. Don’t beat yourself up for not having beaten the cancer- the odds were probably against you.

Rather embrace and appreciate every precious moment you have left and celebrate all the achievements and joyous experiences of your life.

Facing Death: Finding Dignity, Hope and Healing at the End by Jim deMaine (Author)

Is it possible to have a good death, free from unnecessary pain and trauma? What if our final days were designed to bring about reconciliation and release? In this wise and large-hearted book, Dr. Jim deMaine offers advice pointing the way toward a grace-filled transition out of life.

"Anticancer" by David Servan-Schreiber(Author)

"Anticancer" by David Servan-Schreiber explores lifestyle changes to fight cancer, blending conventional and alternative approaches. The book details the author's personal journey with cancer and offers advice on an anticancer diet, exercise, mindfulness practices, and eliminating toxic products.

SOME WORDS OF CAUTION

Don’t, in desperation, snatch at false promises of cancer cures you see on the Internet: Medical fraud is unfortunately rife.

Footnotes and references:

Cancer 101

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 13:17:36 GMT

IT’S WAR

You almost certainly know of someone with cancer or someone who died from cancer. Possibly, you have it yourself.

This is not surprising as 1 in 2 people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. That’s the same odds as the flip of a coin.

So, if (as the old joke goes) Google says your symptoms indicate cancer, it is as likely as not to be correct.

In fact, all healthy people constantly have cells that go “rogue” and mutate.

Normally, if these cells become cancerous, they are attacked and killed by the body’s dedicated soldiers, the immune cells.

T-cells attack cancer cells.

The important takeaway from this is that a healthy immune system kills cancer.

If for any reason this does not happen, the cancer cells continue to multiply and invade nearby tissues. [1] Link footnotes= read more]Cancer sometimes begins in one part of the body before spreading to other areas. This process is known as metastasis. It’s a full blown civil war.

METASTASIS

Metastasis involves a complex series of steps in which cancer cells leave the original tumor site and migrate to other parts of the body via the bloodstream…

This process is known (respectively) as lymphatic or hematogenous spread. After the tumor cells come to rest at another site, they re-penetrate the vessel or walls and continue to multiply, eventually forming another clinically detectable tumor…This new tumor is known as a metastatic (or secondary) tumor. Metastasis is one of the hallmarks of cancer, distinguishing it from benign tumors.

In overall stage grouping, metastasis places a cancer in Stage IV. The possibilities of curative treatment are greatly reduced, or often entirely removed when a cancer has metastasized.

THE NUMBERS

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and around the world causes nearly 10 million deaths per annum. This amounts to about 1 OUT OF EVERY 6 DEATHS. That is literally the same odds as choosing the chamber with the bullet in it in Russian Roulette.

Young people too

Doctors across the world are sounding the alarm over a surging epidemic of young people being diagnosed with cancers more commonly associated with the elderly. Between 1990 and 2019, cases of cancer in young people across the globe have increased by 79 percent and deaths have risen 28 percent.

In the UK, the 4 most common types of cancer are:

Breast cancer
Lung cancer
Prostate cancer
Bowel cancer

There are more than 200 different types of cancer, and each is diagnosed and treated in a particular way. You can find links on this page to information about other types of cancer.

CAUSES OF CANCER

DEALING WITH THE DREADFUL DIAGNOSIS

THE GOOD NEWS

An ever increasing number of people manage to conquer cancer: It does not have to be a death sentence. My wife, Lily, has had no recurrence of her stage 3 colon cancer in the 21 years since it was surgically removed.

The earlier cancer is detected and diagnosed, the better the chance of treating it successfully. But even if you are told your cancer has progressed to STAGE lV, there is hope.

CURE

Whether a person’s cancer can be cured depends on the TYPE AND STAGE of the cancer, the type of treatment they can get, and other factors. Some cancers are more likely to be cured than others. But each cancer needs to be treated differently. There isn’t one cure for cancer.

SURVIVAL RATE (Blog article coming soon)

CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT OPTIONS include :

CHEMOTHERAPY

The use of cytotoxic drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Chemotherapy may be given by mouth, injection, or infusion, or on the skin, depending on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. It may be given alone or with other treatments, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or biologic therapy.

RADIATION THERAPY

Radiation Therapy is the use of high-energy radiation from X-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumours. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy), or it may come from radioactive material placed in the body near cancer cells (internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy).

Medications, surgery or a combination of all these approaches . However, these are expensive, can come with difficult side effects and there is strong debate as to the effectiveness of CHEMOTHERAPY. The inability of traditional cancer therapy, such as chemotherapy and radiation, to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells is a significant drawback and leads to toxicities for patients undergoing treatment.

MODERN ADVANCEMENTS include personalized vaccines, cell therapy, gene editing, immune checkpoint inhibitors, intravenous dostarlimab and microbiome treatments. Researchers have even discovered a pharmaceutical compound that fights leukemia. Increasingly, cancer sufferers are seeking natural, alternative treatments.

SISU: HAVING AN INDOMITABLE SPIRIT (Blog article coming soon)

POWER OF THE MIND (Blog article coming soon)

POWER OF PRAYER (Blog article coming soon)

LAUGH IT OFF (Blog article coming soon)

EARLY DETECTION & TESTING LINK

Footnotes and references:

[1] https://www.webmd.com/cancer/how-many-cancer-deaths-per-year

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metastasis

[3] https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=do+healthy+people+have++cancer+cells&id=4EC2459D27C246BA26A89F0E1E8B3797D78DFAD9; https://www.iarc.who.int/

[4] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13197079/cancer-epidemic-young-people-america-uk-india-south-africa.html#:~:text=Doctors%20across%20the%20world%20are,deaths%20have%20risen%2028%20percent.

[5] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer/#:~:text=1%20in%202%20people%20will,lung%20cancer

[6] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer/#:~:text=1%20in%202%20people%20will,lung%20cancer

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer

Cancer Gone Blog | Your Guide To Beating Cancer

Early Testing And Detection Of Cancer Saves Lives

Cancer is the silent killer

TYPES OF TESTING

"The Viking gene survey helped find my cancer"

EARLY DIAGNOSIS- WHAT A DIFFERENCE ﻿

COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

PRESSURE FOR EARLY DETECTION

The Power of Love and Affection: Helping Cancer Patients Heal

Abandonment

Lend A Helping Hand

Do your bit

Cancer Survivors: Don’t be too proud to ask

Reboot Your Immune System

Just as cancer is an attack on your body from within, the treatment or cure for cancer could also come from within.

YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

TREATMENTS USING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO FIGHT CANCER.

CAR-T Therapy

Attack T-cell

The Magic Tablet

LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION THE KEY

BOOKS TO HELP YOU

Cancer by the Numbers

I will survive

Here are some statistics that are used for cancer:

How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Cancer of Any Site?

Having an Indomitable Spirit: Sisu

Think like a warrior

BOOKS TO HELP YOU

Cancer Grade and Stages

Cancer grade

Cancer stage

Cancer Survival Rates and Stages

Cancer Grade

Cancer Stage

Prognosis: Cancer Cure Versus Cancer Remission

Cancer cure

cancer remission

The Doctor Was Stunned - A Cancer Survival Story

Cancer The Doctor was stunned: My cancer was gone

Watch My YouTube Video on How I Beat Cancer

DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE

Footnotes and references:

Causes Of Cancer

Just as there are many forms of cancer, so too are there many different causes of cancer.

Weakened immune system

Footnotes and references:

UPDATes:

Dealing With The Dreadful Cancer Diagnosis

Cancer is called a dread disease by the insurance companies for good reason.

Footnotes and references:

Cancer 101

IT’S WAR

METASTASIS

THE NUMBERS

THE GOOD NEWS

Footnotes and references:

EARLY DIAGNOSIS- WHAT A DIFFERENCE