what is a patients physical capibilities, survival rate, and symptoms in stage 3 bone cancer?

Thank you for your question, anonymous. DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane ) is a synthetic pesticide that is illegal to use in the United States since the 70s since it was determined to be a carcinogen. It was actually used in the WWII era for control of malaria and typhus.

Research suggests that exposure to DDT is commonly associated with the medical conditions of asthma, neurological issues and diabetes. There is epidemiological evidence that DDT causes cancer of the liver, pancreas and breast. There is mixed evidence that it contributes to leukemia, lymphoma and testicular cancer.

According to Haz Map, which provides occupational exposure information indicates that DDT is a possible carcinogen. Please be wary that more research is necessary for the casual connection between specific cancers and exposure to DDT. It appears that research suggests that most worker's exposed to DDT, had issues with their liver. The liver produces substances that break down fats, convert glucose to glycogen, produce urea (the main substance of urine), make certain amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), filter harmful substances from the blood (such as alcohol), storage of vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, D, K and B12) and maintain a proper level or glucose in the blood. The liver is also responsible for producing cholesterol. It produces about 80% of the cholesterol in your body.

In this sense, the liver is the main filter of the body and takes a severe beating when it comes to toxic exposures.

For specifics to the bone, I did not see any specific scientific research regarding epidemiological (or study of human) rather animal studies with relation to bone porosity and exposure to DDT. The National Institute of Health indicates that insufficient case-control studies are available for evaluation and that assessment of the potential carcinogenic effects of DDT in humans is largely dependent on inferences from descriptive epidemiology.

Are you having some sort of issues that you are concerned with bone cancer?

I am 56, fit, 110lbs, 5' 6" but in full-blown osteoporosis. Every little bump results in a fracture. Right now dealing with a smashed right elbow. As a child growing up on a farm in South Africa I was exposed to regular (inadvertant) dousings of DDT during crop spraying season. Do I have to be tested for bone cancer? Does the porosity of my bones have anything to do with the exposure to DDT?

Hi MGBrewP8 -

Both Alison and Diane have provided good information that I hope is helping you figure out whether your mom is making up her information or is confused.

You mentioned leukemia. I could see where someone might think that leukemia, which is cancer of the blood, could be a type of bone cancer since the bone marrow is involved. There is no stage 3.5 for leukemia.

The staging system for leukemia differs from that for bone and many other cancers, which are given stages of I, II, III, or IV. These stages are based on the size of the tumor and how far from the original site in the body the cancer has spread. Because leukemia already involves all of the bone marrow in the body, and in many cases, has spread to other organs such as the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes, the staging of leukemia depends on other information that reflects the patient's outlook for survival. Different staging systems are used for different types of chronic leukemia. Some types do not have any staging system. You can find more information on how leukemia is staged here:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_is_leukemia_staged_62.asp

Best wishes to you in unraveling this mystery. Will you please let us know what you learn when you talk with your mom? Take care, Pat

MGBrewP8,

You're in a tough situation for sure. It does seem like somewhere here there's not enough correct information being given out.

Have you asked your mom who her oncologist is?

What did you think about Alison's suggestions? About asking if you could go with her to her next doctor's appointment, for instance? You could tell her that it is because YOU don't understand the situation and YOU want to ask the doctor to help YOU understand, perhaps?

Stage 3 bone cancer means that the cancer has spread from a bone to another bone or to another organ of the body, like the lungs. I did not find anything on stage 3.5 or a stage 3B. Here is information on the stages of bone cancer cells:

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/type/bone-cancer/treatment/the-stages-of-bone-cancer

And here's the American Cancer Society bone cancer staging guide:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_How_is_bone_cancer_staged_2.asp

Does this information give you any better idea of whether your mother might be being truthful, yet have her information mixed up?

May I ask what relationship you have with this person? Are they a family member or a close friend?

Symptoms of bone cancer can differ, depending on not only the stage, but the location in the body, the type of bone cancer, as well as other factors. You can read about the different types, and corresponding symptoms, of bone cancer at: EmpowHER Encyclopedia: Bone Cancer.

Does this person want to talk with you about her condition and diagnosis? If so, you can ask what type of bone cancer she has, when her next doctor's appointment is, what treatment options she's been given (and refused?), and if she's experiencing any symptoms.

If she does not want to talk about her diagnosis or condition, she may be in complete denial or may be lying about having this condition in the first place, or have a mental disorder that is either causing her to have hypochondriac tendencies...or I guess she could also feel so deprived of love and attention, that the only way she feels others will provide her with support is if she has cancer? This sounds very far-fetched, and depending on how well you know this person, how well you know other people in her life, and if she has a tendency to exaggerate or completely falsify her conditions, then I guess anything is possible.

Stage 3 bone cancer (again, depending on the type and location) would most likely produce symptoms including (at least) fatigue, weakness, weight loss.

Regardless if her condition is completely false and made-up, she is looking for attention...and if her condition is completely true and she is in denial, she is looking for support. Can you ask her what type of bone cancer she has, if she would like you to come with her to the next doctor's appointment, or if you can help her do research on treatment options?

- What are your options, then, if she refused to talk with you about it?
- Are you close enough to this person (or her immediate family) that you can voice your concern about her diagnosis, that you are available to lend an ear or help with research, and you hope that she trusts you enough with talking about it.

If she continues to just say "I have bone cancer, stage 3, nothing they can do about it", then you can voice your concern that you have read there are treatment options, and ask her about her feelings: is she scared, or needing more support?

You can also tell her that you understand if she does not want to talk about it, but that it is difficult for you to pretend that she does not bone cancer when you see her do physical activities that may harm her (horse back riding with fragile bones, for instance).

Does this help??