A Few Good Memes

Hi all,

My sister Anna F. Dufair has been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.

In an effort to keep everyone as up-to-date on developments with Anna’s health, I’m going to start this email chain. I’ll try to send out new emails and new information becomes available. Please feel free to pass this message along to family and friends who would be interested. If they want to be added to the distribution list, please have them email me at RFairchild@aol.com. If you want to be taken off the distribution list, please send me an email.

Anna and her husband, Jason, have 3 wonderful kids: Alyssa (7), Ian (2), and Emma (7 mos.). They live and work in West Lafayette, IN, where Purdue University is located.

The latest information:
In the last few weeks Anna found out that she has a tumor in her left lung and another in her right thigh. She has been through a battery of tests - PET scans, biopsies, MRIs, CAT scans, blood tests, and many more. The diagnosis is that she has non-small cell basaloid squamous carcinoma — which is very rare for someone like Anna. Generally, this disease strikes males 75 years old who are life-long smokers. Anna is none of those things.

By definition Anna’s at stage 4 because it has metastasized (spread from her lung to her leg). If you look on the Internet, the 5-year survivor rates for someone with this disease in stage 4 aren’t promising. But then again the odds aren’t great for otherwise healthy 75 year old male smokers. We are very hopeful that the odds don’t apply to Anna.

The proposed treatment plan Anna is supposed to undergo chemotherapy and radiation simultaneously and then have surgery to remove any remaining tumors. They hope that Anna can begin treatment this week.

What Is Chemotherapy And How Does It Work? (some sections below cribbed from the American Cancer Society web site — an excellent resource if you are seeking more information)

Chemotherapy is the use of medicines (or drugs) to treat cancer. Chemotherapy is systemic — it works throughout the body. Chemotherapy drugs can destroy cancer cells that have metastasized or spread to parts of the body far from the primary (original) tumor. More than 100 chemotherapy drugs are used in various combinations. Although a single chemotherapy drug can be used to treat cancer, generally they are more powerful when used with other drugs. Anna’s chemotherapy treatment probably will consist of more than one drug. This is called combination chemotherapy. A combination of drugs with different actions can work together to kill more cancer cells and reduce the chance that she may become resistant to a particular chemotherapy drug.

How Does Radiation Work to Treat Cancer? Radiation is energy that is carried by waves or a stream of particles that can alter the genetic code of a cell. This genetic code controls how a cell grows and divides in the body. Radiation therapy attacks reproducing cancer cells, but it can also affect reproducing cells of normal tissues. The damage to normal cells is what causes side effects. Each time radiation therapy is given it involves a balance between destroying the cancer cells and sparing the normal cells.

Surgery
Surgery is used to cut out tumors. Hopefully, the chemo and radiation will shrink the tumors by the time Anna has surgery. Right now, the tumor in her left lung is closing off her left bronchial tube and is close to her pulmonary artery. The pulmonary artery carries de-oxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs. The surgeon would make an incision under her left arm and cut away part of one rib in order to reach the lung tumor.

The tumor is Anna’s right thigh is the fatty tissue between the skin and muscle. Hopefully, the tendrils (thread-like extensions) coming out from the tumor will be eliminated with chemo and radiation.

How long will all this take?
Bottom line: at least 5-6 months. Chemo is applied in cycles, generally lasting 2 or 3 weeks. Each cycle is expected to be repeated 3 times. That’s 9 weeks. Then another round of tests, figure 3 weeks. Then recovery from surgery on her lung will take 6 to 8 weeks. Then recovery from surgery on her leg would take some number of weeks — we haven’t been given a time estimate yet.

What about Side Effects?

Nausea (vomiting) has traditionally been a major problem with chemo, but we’re told that they can give Anna anti-nausea drugs which should help significantly. General fatigue and achiness are a freaquent problem that doctors haven’t found a solution to yet. Anna will lose her long, red, curly hair. She loves her hair and seems very concerned about loosing it. She’s purchased a wig.

How can you help?
One of the biggest ways you can help, is to stay positive. Anna and Jason are determined to fight this disease. The more positive and hopeful energy we can send their way the better. You might consider sending a card or a picture (say of you or your kids) every couple weeks. Nothing, big, just a note to say we’re thinking of you. You might add Anna and her family to your prayers.

Another way to help is to direct your questions about Anna’s situation and the latest news to me or my wife, Judy. Reducing the time that Anna and Jason have to spend answering the same questions over and over from dozens of people will help reduce their workload and allow them to direct energy towards Anna’s recovery.

A couple other ideas:
Anna and Jason are looking at months and months of daily trips to doctors offices — that means lots of sitting in waiting rooms. having something to do during that time would be useful: 1) Anna likes People magazine, so a subscription would be nice (send me an email if you plan to do this so we avoid sending her 15 subscriptions from different people), 2) send old books on CD or tape that you’ve enjoyed.

Anna’s address is
Anna F. Dufair
813 Essex Street
W. Lafayette, IN 47906

Stories of Hope

People do recover from cancer. We’re looking forward to Anna’s recovery. You might find the stories at the following website helpful and inspiring: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/FPS/fps_0.asp

Thank you for you interest and concern.

Best wishes to all of you.