You Have 39.6% Chance of Getting Cancer

randomshenans · 3 Jun 2019 at 10:44

Crap odds, and I already know a few close people who I've lost to it. Now my older Brother has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and I'm gutted.

He's having radiotherapy, chemo, and stem cell treatment after, but we're also trying to give him some more time by getting him a drug that isn't available on the NHS.

I can't imagine the hole he'll leave behind.

I hate to ask, but desperate times...

https://www.gofundme.com/please-hel...EHK0LSi0InWiF2cHvkLbrq24AlV-BQ58todoc9mWteZwk

CREATIVE!11 · 3 Jun 2019 at 10:56

So the NHS still hasn't approved this drug for use?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/he...-wins-High-Court-Revlimid-drug-challenge.html

From 2008.... there are generics of it available online "Lenalidomide" AFAIK. Natco Pharma which is company based in India make it (I've used their generics in the past all fine). There are options available if you are still unable to reach your full goal. I don't think I can say much more than that without probably breaking the rules. But the ol google machine can help. A lot of the cost for these things is US drug companies price gouging to the max unfortunately. The govt there has even gone as far as to try ban the import of generics some time ago if I recall. Says it all really....

randomshenans · 3 Jun 2019 at 10:59

Thank you for the info @CREATIVE!11 I'll definitely pass it on!

Cleisthenes · 3 Jun 2019 at 11:01

Really sorry to hear that, it's a bugger

Wishing him the best

Hades · 3 Jun 2019 at 11:02

Sorry to hear it

Best of luck.

chrcoluk · 3 Jun 2019 at 11:03

yeah I assume you mean the dark web, one of those things that cannot be discussed openly on the internet but how else do you learn about it O_o

Sorry about the bad news, I hope you get hold of the drug regardless of means.

CREATIVE!11 · 3 Jun 2019 at 11:08

randomshenans said:
Thank you for the info @CREATIVE!11 I'll definitely pass it on!

No worries. Sorry I can't be much more help and sorry to hear about your brother. Hopefully you can sort something out...

https://www.google.com/search?clien...ws-wiz.......0i71j0i67j0i131j0i10.5zG9KbYGrdw

Company is there, so it's not like some back dealing shady business. A lot of people in recent years have been forced to seek out generics because of the prohibitive cost of some life saving drugs.

Freakbro · 3 Jun 2019 at 11:09

I thought it was a higher chance than that tbh, I thought we had hit the 50/50 chances of getting cancer already.

Azza · 3 Jun 2019 at 11:24

My partners Mum was diagnosed with multiple myeloma late 2017.

She went to India to get her Revlimid or what ever it's branded, as it's not under patent.

Her consulants at the QE in Birmingham know / work with some doctors at a hostpial in Hyderabad they were able to do some stuff so they could prescribe it to her. She had to fly out and collect it in person but had no problems bringing it back and the cost was amazingly cheaper. I think the actual medicine was only around £400.

randomshenans · 3 Jun 2019 at 11:26

Azza said:
My partners Mum was diagnosed with multiple myeloma late 2017.

She went to India to get her Revlimid or what ever it's branded, as it's not under patent.

Her consulants at the QE in Birmingham know / work with some doctors at a hostpial in Hyderabad they were able to do some stuff so they could prescribe it to her. She had to fly out and collect it in person but had no problems bringing it back and the cost was amazingly cheaper. I think the actual medicine was only around £400.

Thanks Azza, that's great to hear. I'll pass this on to the family. How is she doing now?

BowdonUK · 3 Jun 2019 at 11:29

There is no doubt the amount of cases of cancer is increasing. When I was younger it was very rare to hear of anyone having cancer. If you got it back then it was usually terminal, and you were very unlucky.

These days many people get cancer. At 39.6% that is 4 in 10 people have a chance of getting cancer. To be honest now you're not unlucky as its becoming normal.

I find the attitude of the government to cancer to be lackluster. They leave it mostly to charities and pharmaceutical industry to come up with the answer. But if the government was taking it seriously they would be declaring a national emergency, because 40% of the population is becoming seriously ill (and sadly some dying). How high does the percentage have to go before the government will start investigating why we're getting more cancers than ever before, and how to stop us getting it in the first place.

Azza said:
My partners Mum was diagnosed with multiple myeloma late 2017.

She went to India to get her Revlimid or what ever it's branded, as it's not under patent.

Her consulants at the QE in Birmingham know / work with some doctors at a hostpial in Hyderabad they were able to do some stuff so they could prescribe it to her. She had to fly out and collect it in person but had no problems bringing it back and the cost was amazingly cheaper. I think the actual medicine was only around £400.

That's great news for your partners Mum. I just feel that she and others shouldnt have to travel outside the country. It shows our system is broken when that drug isn't available either on the NHS or to pay privately.

Azza · 3 Jun 2019 at 11:34

randomshenans said:
Thanks Azza, that's great to hear. I'll pass this on to the family. How is she doing now?

She was in remission for about 5 months, but it came back. She recently finished another load of chemo as she was due to have an allogeneic transplant, 4 or 5 donors from around the world were actually identified but unfortunately after further tests they were deemed not suitable. Something to do with how some proteins bind in her blood, I can't exactly remember.

I think the plan is still to do another auto transplant at the end of the summer and hopefully some suitable donors will come up on the various registers during the time so that she can have the allo.

dowie · 3 Jun 2019 at 15:17

CREATIVE!11 said:
So the NHS still hasn't approved this drug for use?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/he...-wins-High-Court-Revlimid-drug-challenge.html

Seems like they have though albeit there is a cost question depending on the trust involved.

dowie · 3 Jun 2019 at 15:20

FYI you could always pay for a private consultation - you pay for outpatient drugs regardless when private whether you’re insured or not. So a consultant could always write a prescription for this drug you can’t get on the NHS, no need to try and get it via backchannels, especially if there is an affordable generic available.

Stephanie Peterson · 3 Jun 2019 at 15:23

I have 100% chance of having cancer, er.. :mad:

Robdav · 3 Jun 2019 at 15:27

without doing the maths behind it and working out my "odds"of getting cancer:

I've had prostate cancer, my father had prostate cancer, both granddads also had prostate cancer, my brother had throat cancer, my wife had melanoma (skin cancer), and I lost someone to leukaemia.....

guess my family's odd were pretty low.

Orionaut · 3 Jun 2019 at 15:29

BowdonUK said:
There is no doubt the amount of cases of cancer is increasing. When I was younger it was very rare to hear of anyone having cancer. If you got it back then it was usually terminal, and you were very unlucky.

These days many people get cancer. At 39.6% that is 4 in 10 people have a chance of getting cancer. To be honest now you're not unlucky as its becoming normal.

Some years ago there was a very interesting article in New Scientist regarding a late 19th century cancer treatment called Coleys Toxins.

The implication behind the article at the time was that Dr Coleys conclusion was that we dont get sick enough these days to protect against cancers.

A High Fever a year keeps the big C away was Dr Coleys conclusion back at the end of the 19th century.

Immune system failings are more common across the board these days, not just Cancer. I don't recall knowing many people with Asthma or allergies when I was young either and yet nowadays like half the population cant eat this and get all wheezy over that

(And we have idiots blaming it all on air pollution. At a time when air quality has never been better)

StriderX · 3 Jun 2019 at 15:39

Wheres your degree to be making statements on immunology?

Anyway, sad days, hopefully remission is possible.

Pawnless Endgame · 3 Jun 2019 at 17:07

Freakbro said:
I thought it was a higher chance than that tbh, I thought we had hit the 50/50 chances of getting cancer already.

Yeah I heard the same too - 50/50.

StriderX · 3 Jun 2019 at 17:15

I mean... only if you smoke and fat , which is obviously preventable.

7/10 of lung cancers are smoking related (~5% overall) and this also affects other cancers, the next biggest one is bowel cancer, which is mostly because of age, but also unhealthy lifestyle (Eating ****, smoking **** and drinking ****), dunno how much is based on that though and what is totally natural.

Anyway, if you aren't yet an OAP, it's mostly not as scary but probably still too high.