Print Version
Email this story
Comment
Fighting cancer
 |
| H&N photo by Andrew Mariman In 2001, Sally Broten was diagnosed with lung cancer. Since then she has completely changed her life. Undergoing chemotherapy, altering her diet and putting away her motorcycle were just a few of these changes. |
‘I’ve been one of the lucky ones’
By RYAN PFEIL
H&N Staff Writer
Sally Broten sat in her armchair. Her son knelt in front of her, weeping and holding her hand.
“He said, ‘You’ve got to get strong, Mom,’ ” Broten said. “He wanted me to fight so bad.”
Broten was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001, and is one of the 19,788 identified cases of cancer in Oregon in 2005, according to the latest data collected by the Oregon Department of Human Services. Nearly 40 percent of those cases resulted in death.
Today, the 54-year-old is fighting her cancer with medicine and a newfound faith.
“So far I’ve been one of the lucky ones,” she said. “I’ve outlived everything they said so far.”
Uncontrolled growth
Cancer is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells with genetic abnormalities. Numerous factors can contribute to the problem, including smoking, not wearing sunscreen, poor diet and not exercising.
“Sometimes it’s just bad luck,” said Dr. Bradley Kramer, oncologist at Sky Lakes Cancer Treatment Center.
Cancer is among the eight chronic diseases that make Klamath County residents some of the unhealthiest in Oregon, according to a survey by the Healthy Active Klamath Coalition and the Klamath County Health Department.
Normal, healthy cells stop growing when they collide with other cells. Cancerous cells continue to grow, clumping to form tumors. The tumors kill surrounding healthy cells, interfering with the body’s functions, and eventually shutting them down.
“It saps all the energy,” Kramer said.
The body’s immune system does not recognize the rapid cell growth as an intruder.
“Our immune system cannot destroy them,” said Dr. Tzann Fang, oncologist at Sky Lakes Cancer Treatment Center. “They don’t recognize it’s cancer.”
Broten has two tumors in her lung, characterized as nonsmall cell lung cancer. The three- and five-centimeter masses add to breathing complications she has from asthma. In drier climates, she often finds herself out of breath.
The growth rate among cancers differs. Broten’s type of cancer typically grows at a fast rate. Tongue, larynx and brain tumors often grow at accelerated rates. Breast and prostate cancers commonly grow slowly.
“It varies from cancer to cancer tremendously,” Kramer said.
Physical characteristics of weakness, weight loss and pain often accompany uncontrolled cell growth. Broten’s ex-husband’s father, whom she calls “Dad,” was diagnosed with lung cancer soon after her diagnosis. He died in 2003. Broten was there through all of it.
“I saw a very virile man turn to skin and bones,” she said.
Diagnosis
Cancer may present symptoms that lead to a diagnosis. Sometimes, medical screenings like colonoscopies, rectal exams, pap smears and mammograms will detect certain types of cancer before symptoms begin.
“Most breast cancer is found asymptomatic,” Kramer said.
Broten’s cancer was first detected in 2001 when she lived in San Diego. A doctor testing her nerves suspected the cancer. The X-rays showed no evidence. Nine months later during a follow-up exam, the X-rays changed, showing two cancerous masses.
“I lost it basically,” Broten said.
Experts say the variance in images is not uncommon. Current technologies can detect cancerous masses when they reach one centimeter in size. Anything below that usually will not show up.
Tumors can be detected through X-ray or positron emission tomography — PET — scans. A radioactive substance is injected into the blood. Cancerous cells show up as bright masses.
Following detection, a sample of the tumor is taken. Tests will show how far the tumor’s development has progressed. The process is called staging. Many early stage cancers can be cured, Kramer said.
Broten’s original diagnosis showed her just below stage one, the least severe stage.
Chemo complications
Broten’s skin never used to be so thin that rubbing it would cause it to tear. It is now.
“The marks you see are not bruises,” she said.
A recent reminder came in church when her purse strap came loose and slid down her arm. Tiny, weeping holes opened on the skin the strap slipped over. She also has mild nerve damage in her fingertips. Her feet occasionally suffer from a sudden onset of heat or cold.
“Your feet feel like they’re on fire,” Broten said. “Sometimes they get so cold, they hurt.”
Such responses to chemotherapy are not uncommon, Fang said.
Chemotherapy is a cytotoxic substance, or a material toxic to all cells, cancerous and healthy. Side effects of the treatment can include hair loss, soreness in the mouth, diarrhea, weakening of skin and nails, high-pitch hearing loss and pigment change in the skin. White, red and platelet cells in the blood also can potentially drop to anemic levels. Shots are sometimes required to boost blood cell levels in chemotherapy patients.
“People can die in hours if we don’t treat it right away,” Fang said.
Kidney, heart and liver functions also can be affected by chemotherapy treatments. Most side effects are reversible, Fang said.
Targeted therapy
The newest wave of cancer treatment is targeted therapy. Like radiation, this therapy avoids damaging healthy tissue. Unlike radiation, it is not a direct attack on cancerous cells.
“It’s really a booming area of oncology right now,” Kramer said.
Targeted therapy focuses on the specific receptors in a cancer cell’s membrane. Receptors are signal pathways that cells utilize for commands to determine whether they should continue to grow or die. Targeted therapy blocks cancerous cell proteins from the signal pathways, and the cells cease to grow.
“It’s not a cure yet, but we can control the disease,” Fang said.
Broten takes Tarceva, a targeted therapy drug that targets nonsmall cell lung and pancreatic cancers. Broten’s most recent PET scan in April showed her tumors had only increased slightly in size.
“For two years, slightly larger is very little,” she said.
Despite the promise offered by targeted therapy, Fang said its potential is just beginning.
“We’re still in a very primitive stage.”
Broten meanwhile has newfound solace in her Christian faith. She misses being able to ride her motorcycle and not being able to hold her 1-year-old granddaughter while walking, but she’s no longer afraid of dying.
“The good Lord has something planned for me. I don’t know what it is,” she said. “No one knows when you’re going to die. No one knows.”
“He said, ‘You’ve got to get strong, Mom,’ ” Broten said. “He wanted me to fight so bad.”
Broten was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001, and is one of the 19,788 identified cases of cancer in Oregon in 2005, according to the latest data collected by the Oregon Department of Human Services. Nearly 40 percent of those cases resulted in death.
Today, the 54-year-old is fighting her cancer with medicine and a newfound faith.
“So far I’ve been one of the lucky ones,” she said. “I’ve outlived everything they said so far.”
Uncontrolled growth
Cancer is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells with genetic abnormalities. Numerous factors can contribute to the problem, including smoking, not wearing sunscreen, poor diet and not exercising.
“Sometimes it’s just bad luck,” said Dr. Bradley Kramer, oncologist at Sky Lakes Cancer Treatment Center.
Cancer is among the eight chronic diseases that make Klamath County residents some of the unhealthiest in Oregon, according to a survey by the Healthy Active Klamath Coalition and the Klamath County Health Department.
Normal, healthy cells stop growing when they collide with other cells. Cancerous cells continue to grow, clumping to form tumors. The tumors kill surrounding healthy cells, interfering with the body’s functions, and eventually shutting them down.
“It saps all the energy,” Kramer said.
The body’s immune system does not recognize the rapid cell growth as an intruder.
“Our immune system cannot destroy them,” said Dr. Tzann Fang, oncologist at Sky Lakes Cancer Treatment Center. “They don’t recognize it’s cancer.”
Broten has two tumors in her lung, characterized as nonsmall cell lung cancer. The three- and five-centimeter masses add to breathing complications she has from asthma. In drier climates, she often finds herself out of breath.
The growth rate among cancers differs. Broten’s type of cancer typically grows at a fast rate. Tongue, larynx and brain tumors often grow at accelerated rates. Breast and prostate cancers commonly grow slowly.
“It varies from cancer to cancer tremendously,” Kramer said.
Physical characteristics of weakness, weight loss and pain often accompany uncontrolled cell growth. Broten’s ex-husband’s father, whom she calls “Dad,” was diagnosed with lung cancer soon after her diagnosis. He died in 2003. Broten was there through all of it.
“I saw a very virile man turn to skin and bones,” she said.
Diagnosis
Cancer may present symptoms that lead to a diagnosis. Sometimes, medical screenings like colonoscopies, rectal exams, pap smears and mammograms will detect certain types of cancer before symptoms begin.
“Most breast cancer is found asymptomatic,” Kramer said.
Broten’s cancer was first detected in 2001 when she lived in San Diego. A doctor testing her nerves suspected the cancer. The X-rays showed no evidence. Nine months later during a follow-up exam, the X-rays changed, showing two cancerous masses.
“I lost it basically,” Broten said.
Experts say the variance in images is not uncommon. Current technologies can detect cancerous masses when they reach one centimeter in size. Anything below that usually will not show up.
Tumors can be detected through X-ray or positron emission tomography — PET — scans. A radioactive substance is injected into the blood. Cancerous cells show up as bright masses.
Following detection, a sample of the tumor is taken. Tests will show how far the tumor’s development has progressed. The process is called staging. Many early stage cancers can be cured, Kramer said.
Broten’s original diagnosis showed her just below stage one, the least severe stage.
Chemo complications
Broten’s skin never used to be so thin that rubbing it would cause it to tear. It is now.
“The marks you see are not bruises,” she said.
A recent reminder came in church when her purse strap came loose and slid down her arm. Tiny, weeping holes opened on the skin the strap slipped over. She also has mild nerve damage in her fingertips. Her feet occasionally suffer from a sudden onset of heat or cold.
“Your feet feel like they’re on fire,” Broten said. “Sometimes they get so cold, they hurt.”
Such responses to chemotherapy are not uncommon, Fang said.
Chemotherapy is a cytotoxic substance, or a material toxic to all cells, cancerous and healthy. Side effects of the treatment can include hair loss, soreness in the mouth, diarrhea, weakening of skin and nails, high-pitch hearing loss and pigment change in the skin. White, red and platelet cells in the blood also can potentially drop to anemic levels. Shots are sometimes required to boost blood cell levels in chemotherapy patients.
“People can die in hours if we don’t treat it right away,” Fang said.
Kidney, heart and liver functions also can be affected by chemotherapy treatments. Most side effects are reversible, Fang said.
Targeted therapy
The newest wave of cancer treatment is targeted therapy. Like radiation, this therapy avoids damaging healthy tissue. Unlike radiation, it is not a direct attack on cancerous cells.
“It’s really a booming area of oncology right now,” Kramer said.
Targeted therapy focuses on the specific receptors in a cancer cell’s membrane. Receptors are signal pathways that cells utilize for commands to determine whether they should continue to grow or die. Targeted therapy blocks cancerous cell proteins from the signal pathways, and the cells cease to grow.
“It’s not a cure yet, but we can control the disease,” Fang said.
Broten takes Tarceva, a targeted therapy drug that targets nonsmall cell lung and pancreatic cancers. Broten’s most recent PET scan in April showed her tumors had only increased slightly in size.
“For two years, slightly larger is very little,” she said.
Despite the promise offered by targeted therapy, Fang said its potential is just beginning.
“We’re still in a very primitive stage.”
Broten meanwhile has newfound solace in her Christian faith. She misses being able to ride her motorcycle and not being able to hold her 1-year-old granddaughter while walking, but she’s no longer afraid of dying.
“The good Lord has something planned for me. I don’t know what it is,” she said. “No one knows when you’re going to die. No one knows.”
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of HeraldAndNews.com. Comment Disclaimer: The editors of heraldandnews.com reserve the right to refuse publication of any comment posted for consideration. We may refuse for any reason, including use of profanity, disparaging comments, libelous comments, etc. Any reader who notices a comment they believe is particularly offensive, should notify us at webmaster@heraldandnews.com.
RSS