Edwards’ Cancer Has Spread Into One of Her Hips

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: New York Times

Edwards’ Cancer Has Spread Into One of Her Hips
By PATRICK McGEEHAN
Published: March 26, 2007

Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of the presidential candidate John Edwards, elaborated on her cancer diagnosis in an interview broadcast last night, saying that the disease had spread to one of her hips.

Mrs. Edwards and her husband said they would continue campaigning.

The interview, on “60 Minutes” on CBS, appeared three days after Mr. Edwards announced that his wife’s cancer, first diagnosed late in his 2004 campaign for the White House, had come back in an incurable form that had spread to her ribs.

When asked if the cancer had spread to any other part of her body, Mrs. Edwards said, “There are a couple of hot spots, on the bone scan, in my right hip, for example.” She did not mention any other areas having been affected.

Sitting with her husband, Mrs. Edwards, 57, said she wondered if treating her hip with radiation would cause it to weaken and be more susceptible to breaking. But she said the doctors she had consulted had told her that “it was too small an area for that to be a risk.”...

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/us/politics/26edwards.html?hp

[Monkeyman]

1. My Prayers are with her tonight

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Mine, too. God bless you, Monkeyman. nt

[bigworld]

19. wasted priorities

It just pisses me off that our country can find $300 billion for a failed war that could have been spent so much better. How much closer would we be to finding a cancer cure if we spent $300 billion on that?!

[Colobo]

2. That is terrible... very bad news...

[UrbScotty]

4. Horrible. Just horrible. Stay strong Elizabeth.

:hug:

[cboy4]

5. Such a cruel, cruel disease. I'm so sad to hear

about this.

[Caria]

6. Bad news but

it still does not mean she's at death's door. My grandmother lived over a decade after being diagnosed with breast cancer bone mets and that was a long time ago. There are more and better treatments now.

[DeepModem Mom]

9. Thanks for sharing from your experience, Caria. nt

[Caria]

12. I've had cancer too

And I'm still here!

When I was diagnosed, some people sent their resumes to my boss in anticipation of my resignation or death. I'm reminded of that now as I read of Rush & others criticizing the Edwards.

[DeepModem Mom]

13. I've had a close family member battling a similar situation. This disease...

touches so many lives, and there is, as you say, a huge army of survivors.

[Javaman]

23. Having both Breast and Colon Cancer in my family...

My hopes and prayers go out to her.

3 three of the women in my immediate family are Breast Cancer Survivors. Sadly, those in my immediate family who had Colon Cancer, were not. :(

there have been some remarkable new procedures in the area of Breast and Bone Cancer, I hope they are applicable for Mrs. Edwards.

We live in such troubling times. Wars are over financed, yet health care research goes underfunded.

[DeepModem Mom]

27. Indeed, if only our priorities were different, more could be saved. nt

[yardwork]

24. Thank you for telling us this, Caria.

I'm appalled by the unfeeling comments made by the right-wing over Elizabeth Edwards's cancer. My boss is battling breast cancer right now. A diagnosis of cancer does not mean that a person should go hide in their parlor for the rest of their lives! That's an old idea, similar to making pregnant women hide in their houses and putting people with leprosy on islands. We ought to have progressed beyond those old myths by now. Congratulations on beating cancer and witnessing to the world about what it takes!

And welcome to DU!

[kestrel91316]

32. Thank you for your input. Most DUers seem to think she's got one

foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel.

[Scairp]

7. This is pretty bad news

I am sorry to say that I do not think she will live until the election. If she makes it more than a year it will be due to some very heroic measures on the part of her oncologists. This is just so very sad, especially with two of the children still being so young.

[Colobo]

8. Hopefully you are very wrong!

[Scairp]

18. Hopefully I am

But any oncologist will tell you that once a cancer has metastasized to the bone, there is no stopping it, only slowing it with whatever cutting edge treatments are available. If they cannot slow it down, she has very little time left. Every case is different, and perhaps they can make an impact on it's rate of growth. But if they keep finding spots in different parts of her body, the chances of doing that are practically zero.

[NJCher]

10. well, I don't think that at all

There have been many stories about people with similar situations who undergo treatment and have lived 10-15 years and are still going.

I think Elizabeth will be around for awhile but it is deeply disturbing to me that she will have to live with this condition, undergoing treatment on a routine basis.

Not the way any of us would want to live--



Cher

[Raine]

14. Sadly I feel the same

my mother had breast cancer and her fight to live but eventual death left me completely cynical about surviving the horrible disease, especially when it's so advanced. :-(

[diane in sf]

11. I knew two women with similar diagnoses

--they both lived for years longer--one for over twenty years longer and the treatments were not as good as they are now.

[northzax]

33. and I know people who lived for 6 months

the fact is we simply don't know enough to be able to make a long distance diagnosis of the 5 year survivability of this particular case. She could live 10 years or one, no one knows.

well except Bill "House calls? pshaw, I watch the TeeVee" Frist, of course.

[Vidar]

15. Damn.

[Hieronymus]

16. Awful thing to happen to such a selfless woman. I admire them both.

[DearAbby]

17. I want to say a

Big Thank you, to the Edwards. I thank them for their decision to carry on. I want to thank Elizabeth, for wanting to spread that hope of a better future, even though she will not be here to share it. True Patriots Both.


::salute::



Edit:
even though she will not be here to share it.
I don't mean to sould so fatalistic, I pray for her health as well. Just being realistic, and she is a 'hellva' lady. (no offense)

[greenman3610]

20. My Dad had prostate Cancer, that spread to the bone, did Macrobiotics..

ok ok, I know it sounds crazy, its not proven.
But, the guy's bone scan was clean a year later, and lived another 15 years, till age 85.

His Doctors never asked him if he had done anything
special to get better.

[mithnanthy]

21. Macrobiotic diet

Over 25 Years ago, a Doctor (I can't recall his name) wrote 2 books on HIS cancer experience and after a drastic operation,and extensive treatments failed and ALL his peers (doctors) had given up on his recovery, he pretty much gave up on life and happened to actually pick up 2 hitch-hikers ( a male and female hippy types back then) and during the ride, the Doctor brought up his situation and medical condition. The couple SIMPLY ASKED HIM IF he's ever tried a macrobiotic diet. He switched to a macrobiotic diet and was cancer free, years later to the amazement of his peers. I would like to see research data showing IF and WHEN diets are changed, while treating cancer patients. For instance, do the patients still continue to eat meat and drink milk? Just in case the food process (drugs,preservatives in some of these food sources) adds to the problem.

[CountAllVotes]

25. I've been into macrobiotics

not for cancer, but for overall health improvement.

I worked for a man whose wife had a cancerous brain tumor removed and she went on the macrobiotic diet and she beat the cancer.

You never want to go on this diet without doing a consultation with an expert.

The place to look for is likely found under the last living student of George Ohsawa who is Michio Kushi. He himself recently had cancer himself as he strayed from the diet after his wife died. He is better now last I read.

Again, proceed with extreme caution if you try this diet as the role of it is to remove all toxins from the body which in some cases can take years and to cure a person of all ills.

Does it work? I really can't say for certain but it cannot harm you if done properly.

CountAllVotes

[mithnanthy]

30. Thank you CAV...

for that information.

[JackDragna]

Pure and utter hokum.

"Cure people of all ills?" Uh huh. The usual line of reasoning for quackery like this goes along the line of "unsupported anecdote" followed by "ridiculous claim." This is nothing but new-age flim-flammery and you're doing a disservice to every cancer patient that ever lived by promoting it.

[CountAllVotes]

35. it did not cure me of all ills

and it is not "new age". It has been around since the 1960s. Have you ever done it? I have and it really does detoxify your body like you would not believe.

If I was told tomorrow I had cancer, I would do it again.

[JackDragna]

34. Pure and utter hokum.

[AnneD]

22. Breast Cancer ...

metastasizes to lung, liver, bone, and brain. Since hearing that it was in the rib (site of blood production), sadly, I figured it would only be a matter of time. I would like to hold out hope, but the intellectual side of me is not so hopeful,

[uppityperson]

26. Best of luck, best of life in the time we each have left. Best to Ms. Edwards.

[GoldenOldie]

28. While those who bemoan Elizabeth's early demise......

instead of applauding her fortitude to live her life to the fullest, fail to or unwilling to appreciate that anyone of us could die today or tomorrow, leaving unfinished business/dreams.

Elizabeth has chosen and she is blessed to have a family and friends who will support her choice. I didn't want anyone around me during my battle with cancer with the attitude of "ain't it awful."

[uppityperson]

31. Indeed.

We're all going to die.Try to make the best of life while we are alive. Wishing her the best.

[Lurking Dem]

29. Lady I know

had that happen.

She fought breast cancer for several years and thought she had finally beat it.

Then it showed up in her pelvic bone.

She is actually doing pretty well and it is being treated as a chronic condition.