Guest guest Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 November 6, 2004 Thoughts on diagnosing breast cancer and politics in general- Does anyone know the Edwards? Regarding Elizabeth Edwards having breast cancer, it is interesting the impact this doctors “diagnosis” could have had on the resolve to pursue any questions of elections fraud. How could the doctor have told her “it appeared to be cancer.” Such a trauma to the Edwards family, including possible loss of the wife to chemo and radiation treatment, would make John Edwards unlikely to ever run for president in the future. Most are unaware of the political intrigue possible in large hospitals. Teams of administrators and who knows who else could be discussing the political implications/opportunities of this “diagnosis.” I certainly hope her doctor is unbiased and honest. Does this doctor have a “knee-jerk” reaction to treating cancer? A doctor could " diagnose " cancer with a great deal of personal discretion as to what that means. Could a doctor ever be politically compromised? racially compromised? religiously compromised? educationally compromised? Of course not, but one could wonder... What does it mean to “have cancer”? Also, wouldn’t it be likely to have immune problems when working as hard as she has been for the past year, that coupled with having two small children to care for— She needs to get rest and review the situation before proceeding. I wish there would be some way to get these links to her, so at least she did not fall victim to a false diagnosis. Also, I wish I could give her the information made available at Alternative Medicine Forum. It’s so hard to get up to speed fast enough if one waits to get cancer to study the subject. You really need to start preparing for cancer years before you get it; then perhaps you will not ever get it at all. Does anyone know the Edwards? Perhaps you could give them these articles. Links to Important Articles on Diagnosing Breast Cancer: What Doctors Don’t Tell You About Breast Cancer http://www.healthy.net/scr/column.asp?Id=609 Pink Ribbons and Disinformation http://www.purewatergazette.net/pinkribbons.htm Also, Dr. Lorraine Day’s site would get her started on the road to healing. I believe Elizabeth Edwards loved Wendy’s fast food. She needs the information available at http://www.drday.com Re news blurb, Elizabeth Edwards Has Breast Cancer News 11-4-04 16 minutes ago By RON FOURNIER and RANDOLPH SCHMID, Associated Press Writers WASHINGTON - Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards (news - web sites), was diagnosed with breast cancer the day her husband and Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) conceded the presidential race. Spokesman David Ginsberg said Mrs. Edwards, 55, discovered a lump in her right breast while on a campaign trip last week. Her family doctor told her Friday that it appeared to be cancerous and advised her to see a specialist when she could. She put off the appointment until Wednesday so as not to miss campaign time. The Edwards family went straight to Massachusetts General Hospital from Boston's Faneuil Hall after Kerry and Edwards conceded on Wednesday. Mrs. Edwards had a needle biopsy performed at the hospital, where Dr. Barbara Smith confirmed the cancer, Ginsberg said. He said the cancer was diagnosed as invasive ductal cancer. That is the most common type of breast cancer, and can spread from the milk ducts to other parts of the breast or beyond. More tests were being done to determine how far the cancer has advanced and how to treat it, he said. Ginsberg said spirits are high at the Edwards household. " Everybody feels good about it, that this is beatable, " he said. Edwards, who leaves his North Carolina Senate seat in January, said in a statement, " Elizabeth is as strong a person as I've ever known. Together, our family will beat this. " The American Cancer Society (news - web sites) estimated that nearly 216,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Treatments have been getting better. The current five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 87 percent, up from 78 percent in the mid-1980s. About 40,000 women die of breast cancer annually. Overall, the society says about one in seven women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Invasive ductal cancer accounts for 65 percent to 80 percent of all breast cancers, according to the Merck Manual of Medical Information. Treatment usually begins with surgery, according to the National Cancer Institute (news - web sites). This could involve removal of the cancer itself and usually nearby lymph nodes. Lumpectomy, just removing the cancerous mass, is becoming more common, though sometimes removal of the whole breast is done. Surgery can be followed by chemotherapy, radiation or hormone therapy. Radiation can focus on a cancer site from a machine outside the body or use a radioactive substance placed near the cancer in " seeds " or via needle. Chemotherapy uses drugs that can stop or slow the growth of cancer that may have spread. Hormone therapy removes or blocks hormones that can encourage growth of cancer cells. In early stages of cancer a combination of the drug tamoxifen and hormone therapy is commonly used, the Cancer Institute reports. The Edwardses married in 1977. They have two daughters, Cate and Emma Claire and a son, Jack. Son Wade died in a 1996 traffic accident. Mrs. Edwards, born in Jacksonville, Fla., grew up hopscotching between the United States and Japan. She met her future husband at University of North Carolina law school. She juggled a successful legal career and family for 19 years. Then — stunned by Wade's death — she quit work to have more children at an age when many contemporaries were easing toward grandmotherhood. On the campaign, she dubbed herself the " anti-Barbie, " a quick-witted, down-to-earth political wife who connected particularly well with mothers and fathers. Check out the new Front Page. www. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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