To think the PoW’s diagnosis makes healthy living seem pointless?

[Notsuretoputit]

I try my best to live heathily (although definitely not fanatical). I try and stay away from ultra processed foods, try and avoid saturated fat, too much meat etc., try and exercise every week. I’ll have the odd takeaway and definitely overindulge on wine, but always try and be mindful of living heathily because so much information is constantly battering me through the radio, media etc. about getting ill from various foods and not exercising.

I’ve recently lost my mother far too young too, so I suppose it’s particularly on my mind at the moment. But then you hear Kate’s diagnosis, who obviously exercises regularly, has the best instructors, best food, best ingredients, best preparation, and she still falls ill, and it all seems a bit pointless.

AIBU to feel this way? I just wonder whether I really should make an effort to watch what I eat and run when I don’t feel like it if really, what will be will be regardless.

I share your frustration actaully. if the PoW can get cancer and she's obviously healthy and fit and has access to the best food, healthcare etc, what's the point, may as well just live it up, smoke, drink, eat junk and possibly make it to 80...

I believe based on my own experience (losing my brother young) and my research that fundamentally cancer is related to stress. By that I dont just mean anxiety etc but stress on the emotional, physical and subconscious level. Its been shown that there is a link between a signficant stress event and the development of cancer within 5 years. She has been under an enormous stress over the last few years - its been chronic rather than an acute episode. I think she's very good at being stoical; stiff upper lip and getting on with it. Being constantly scrutinised by the world's media and in particular the relentless sniping from across the pond has probably taken its toll - thats being going on for what, 3 or 4 years? Those 2 in the US thrive on all the attention. The PoW is not constitutionally primed for it in the same way as they are. She's more like the rest of us and frankly they have a lot to answer for, as have the media.

The oncologist said to my bro when he got cancer "it doesnt matter what you eat, it doesn't matter what you drink,. Its in your genes."

I haven’t RTWT but the Dukan diet has long been associated with an increased risk of cancer.

For goodness sake, stress does not cause cancer. It might affect the lifestyle you have but it does not directly cause cancer! And for posters who are implying Harry and Meghan caused Kate’s cancer-please get a grip.

Incorrect, stress is a well known contributor to the development of cancer. Its in the medical literature.

Those with chronic liver disease have (or should have) an abdominal scan every six months to check for hepatic cancer. Cirrhosis in heavy drinkers/alcoholics/NAFLD/HepC and so on is a major red flag for potential liver cancer, so it can indeed matter what you put in your body. That's just one thing. Tobacco we all know about as a major risk factor and I am sure there must be many others.

I have a relative with NASH (non alcohol hepatic) cirrhosis.

Diet and lifestyle play a role in reducing / increasing the risk of cancer.

You dont say.

My point was the oncoclogist was saying the opposite.

@cakeorwine My oncologist disagrees with you

Sime things just happen whatever you do it prevent it
as has been repeated numerous times (🙄) we cannot prevent anything, we can only reduce our chances of getting it!

Your oncologist disagrees that you can reduce your risk of getting certain cancers by making diet and lifestyle changes?

This is an interesting take. It was of interest to my SBCN that I had been under extreme and relentless, PTSD inducing stress for 8 years prior to my diagnosis. So much so that she arranged for me to see a Macmillan psychologist in an attempt to reduce the affects of that. Stress impacts because of the affects of cortisol on your body.

YABU

We don't know what cancer she has (and don't need to know TBH). There are hundreds of cancers, and you can reduce your risk of many (reduce, not eliminate), with healthy lifestyle choices. Some are just plain bad luck.

If you think it is futile to live healthily because of the PoW (which seems like a weird reach anyway... were you looking for a reason to say fuck it anyway?), then it may not be cancer that gets you.. it could be diabetes or cardiac issues.

At the end of the day, we all die anyway.

Its like victim blaming - i.e. its your fault you got cancer becuase you didnt take enough exercise, eat well etc etc. The wife of someone I used to work with died from breast cancer and she ate very well, didnt smoke, drink etc and died at 55. She actually developed a secondary cancer as a result of the radiotherapy treatment.

@cakeorwine My oncologist said (in relation to my type of cancer) that there is was absolutely nothing I could have done to prevent it and very little I could do to prevent it coming back. I'm fit, I exercise and lift daily, I eat well, I like wine (again, no impact). It was just bad luck. I don't dispute that everybody can take steps to reduce risk. However, that's all it is.

I know what you mean op. It is a harsh reality. I feel/felt like I was going to dodge cancer myself. Hardly drink, don't smoke, I eat real food, I exercise... I felt like health was my future. This is a very natural dissonance I think. Nobody wanders around thinking there's a 50:50 chance I'll get cancer. We all have to live in a bit of denial because the facts are too harsh.

That's different to what you said.
Some cancers are genetic - the BRCA1 gene being a classic example.
But others have other causes - and the probability of getting it can be altered by lifestyle.

I had skin cancer. I have a feeling that sun exposure when young did not help at all.

@thegirlwithemousyhair Yes indeed you are warned that there may be a cancer risk from radiotherapy and again from the Tamoxifen that stops your cancer coming back in your breasts but might give you cancer elsewhere. I still take the Tamoxifen because it's the better choice. People love to victim blame with cancer but largely it's genetic and out of your control.

That's not what it is.

I got skin cancer. I had a lot of sun exposure when young. I don't think I helped myself and that most likely increased the chance I would get it.

If I smoked a lot and got lung cancer, then I would absolutely blame myself for increasing my chances of getting it.

And yet scientists estimate that cancer cases can be reduced with lifestyle changes

Can cancer be prevented? | How to reduce your risk of cancer (cancerresearchuk.org)

Sometimes its lifestyle, and sometimes just bad luck. Being healthy will stack the odds in your favour but definitely not a guarantee. I hope the princess of wales recovers well and I think being fit will help with the treatment and recovery. I do get where you’re coming from but you need to think about the bigger picture and not just one person.

Obviously a healthy life style is going to give you the best chance, but I do feel we are all born with an ‘expiry date’ to a degree, based souly on our genetics. So I know heart disease is genetic in my maternal family… many family members having heart disease/bypasses in their 40s. All reasonably healthy. But if I live an unhealthy lifestyle I’m probably inviting those genetic issues to the table early… but will living a healthy style absolve those genetics entirely? Of course not…

People who are otherwise healthier do better with their cancer treatment too. So even if they still get it the outcome is likely to be better, and the side effects of the treatments more tolerable.

Except that being a bit overweight when starting out the cancer treatment is good.

@cakeorwine I do not have the BRCA gene. My cancer was pure bad luck. It was not related to diet and indeed was a type that is not impacted by exercise. Which is a shame as I have been an addicted exerciser for my entire life. I had had some hormone therapy for peri bleeding with medication that has also been linked to my type of cancer. I went through all the scenarios because everybody wants to know "why". There is no why. The amount of slim, fit vegan people on the chemo ward was interesting. My own mum is the perfect example of a lifestyle cancer. A high functioning alcoholic who ate well and was otherwise very healthy and slim (a model for 30 odd years) but got oesophageal cancer. She drank. A lot. Every day. Her diagnosis wasn't a surprise.

OP I get your point. A close family member was a health care professional and the epitome of clean healthy living. Healthy weight, non smoker, light drinker. They really were a beacon of health. Amongst other things they had shunned processed and smoked meat for 25 years because of the specific link to stomach cancer. Zero family history of any kind of cancer; their parents both lived to a ripe old age. They died of stomach cancer. Really did make me think fuck it.