Our Patients' Stories
Astrid - breast cancer patient
In mid 2004 I was diagnosed with early breast cancer. I was told by my doctor that I would have to undergo surgery and then six months of chemotherapy. My oncologist, Dr Geoff Beadle, also told me about a research project he was working on to determine and understand more about the effects of chemotherapy on cognitive function that some women experience during and after chemotherapy. I have a friend who had been through chemotherapy twelve months prior to my diagnosis and at the time I remembered her telling me about the terrible memory loss that she had experienced during her chemo treatment and recovery period. I am a Deputy Principal of a school and I needed to know how my treatment was going to affect me and my capacity to do my job. This was my reason for wanting to take part in the research project.
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I met with members of Geoff’s research team, Katharine and Elena, and was interviewed by them before I started treatment, and again at regular intervals after my chemo phase was complete. The most interesting thing about taking part in the study was how I felt about doing various tasks at different stages in my recovery period compared with the initial assessment, which was undertaken just prior to the commencement of chemo. There were some tests that I couldn’t tolerate to do at certain times (eg. multi-tasking activities such as reading and low noise tests combined), and yet these tests were quite bearable at other times, especially as the time since having the chemo went on and I returned to what I would consider to be my ‘normal’ functioning level.
The most significant change that I noticed was that during my chemo treatment I could only do one thing at a time. I am glad that I participated in this project. The impact of chemotherapy varies and each woman’s experience is different. I hope that as a result of the study, researchers are able to determine whether or not there is a genetic component that pre-determines the likelihood of effects and that these women can then be provided with appropriate support strategies that will help them cope with any deficits / changes that they notice in their functioning.
This was one of the darkest periods of my life, as I imagine it is for all cancer patients. The ability to participate in valuable research during this time, that hopefully will have very positive outcomes for cancer patients in the future, was a bonus. It seems prudent at this time when research into treatments for cancer is jumping ahead in leaps and bounds, to also be considering the effects these treatments have on the different body systems. The step after that is to look at how to manage these changes effectively, which is what I believe the study is all about. Studies such as this will continue to create better outcomes for patients such as myself.
I am feeling fine now and I feel like I have almost returned to my pre-chemo days in terms of my cognitive functioning. I would like women who are going through chemo to take heart and know that there is light and life at the end of the tunnel and that even though it can be very frustrating at times, it is important to remember that things do improve again.
Louise - HORTIS patient
For many patients and their families, complex sounding medical terms can be daunting and confusing. But for Louise, hearing about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO) brought only the hope of a better life.
Five years after diagnosis and treatment for cervical cancer, Louise was referred to take part in the Hyperbaric Oxygen Radiation Tissue Injury Study (HORTIS), a study using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to ease side effects of radiation proctitis.
For the five years since her diagnosis, Louise had suffered painful and debilitating side effects including nausea, vomiting, chronic and severe diarrhoea, and bowel adhesions requiring surgery to remove 50 centimetres of her bowel. Louise said she was realistic but hopeful about the treatment’s success.
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“I didn’t expect a miracle after five years of complications when I simply couldn’t hold any food down and had lost more than 20 kilograms in just six months. At times, my condition was genuinely life threatening. After Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, I noticed a definite improvement. Coming back from being that sick, I am grateful for every improvement in my condition.”
The condition Louise suffers from, radiation proctitis or inflammation of the bowel, is a common side effect from radiation treatment for cervical, bladder or prostate cancer because of the proximity of the bowel to the organs being treated. Oxygen is essential for the proper healing of tissue. However as in Louise’s case, radiation treatment often damages the tissue and vessels supplying blood and oxygen to the bowel, compromising its ability to heal.
Louise took part in an international study to investigate the effects of HBO therapy, the process of breathing in 100 per cent oxygen in a carefully controlled and pressurised environment to improve oxygen flow and therefore improve tissue healing. Because of the lack of scientific studies to date, HBO treatment is not commonly prescribed, and only two hospitals in Queensland have operational hyperbaric units. Louise says the lack of awareness and availability of HBO therapy is part of the problem.
“The experts say the sooner you are treated the greater the effect. It was five years after my radiation treatment before anyone suggested HBO treatment to me. I truly believe that if I had been referred for HBO sooner, I would be back to 00 per cent today.”
Louise hopes the findings from this study will help educate doctors about the treatment so they can recommend it to their patients and they can be saved from the agony she went through.
The preliminary findings from the project support the theory that patients who have hyperbaric treatment experience fewer and less severe symptoms such as pain and bleeding. The formal findings will be reported in the next twelve months.
