Aging With Cancer
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“The Age Factor” in your Spring issue mentioned that one aging characteristic was increased sensitivity of the peripheral nervous system to agents such as cisplatin and Taxol. I have breast cancer and was put on Taxol. I had tingling in my feet and legs that was determined to be a side effect from the Taxol. I now use a cane and walker, and my balance is extremely poor. I read your advice to avoid Taxol, but what choice, may I ask, does one have when cancer is invading your body, and why can’t these horrible side effects be addressed? For whatever life I have left, it certainly is not a quality life, although it is life and I am thankful for that. I would like to see CURE address more side effects and possible solutions that could make a cancer patient’s life more meaningful.

Lore Warren
Hayward, California

Effective treatments are available for many treatment- related side effects. You can download “A Patient’s Guide to Side Effects” and articles that address a variety of side effects, including neuropathy, neutropenia, oral mucositis, pain, and fatigue, from this website. —Editors

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I have cancer, but I am not sick. I am 75, and my husband, who had colon cancer in 1995, is 74. I did not even know I was “elderly” until I read your article. Please tell people you are not sick just because you have cancer! People have heart problems, diabetes, and other debilitating diseases, but we go to church, meetings, and anywhere else we want to go. At some point this cancer may be debilitating, but until then I will live every day to the fullest. Thank you very much for your informative magazine! I’m still not “elderly.”

Margaret Comstock
Foley, Alabama

Cheers to Men
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Kudos to Marc Silver for “Men Behaving Boldly” in your Spring 2007 issue. When the women they love are faced with the challenges of breast cancer, men are challenged to be effective caregivers and supportive partners. Many do the best they can, but contact with other men who have faced similar challenges can only enable them to contribute to the fight more effectively. Men need to see other men being part of events that focus on the issues and celebrate the struggle. Last year, along with my son-in-law, I walked the Komen 3-Day in Atlanta with my daughter, who was not quite a one-year breast cancer survivor. We were two of maybe 100 men amongst 2,200 walkers. Men lined the streets, standing and cheering for the women they love, but they needed to be walking alongside them. Three cheers for the Men with Heart walkers. Should our paths cross, the first round of beer is on me.

Darryl Parks
Kernersville, North Carolina

Finding Information Online
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I wanted to let you know how much I have appreciated CURE on the Internet. It is incredibly helpful as I continue to search for information that may help my husband who currently suffers from both colon and prostate cancers. He is terminal, but we keep searching for information that will help us to maintain him as long as we can.

Sara Nicholas
Akron, Ohio

We love to hear what you think about the stories in CURE. Address comments to editor@curetoday.com. Letters are published at the editor’s discretion and may be edited for length and grammar. If you prefer your letter not be published, please indicate.

And don’t forget we are always looking for personal experience writing from our readers. Send your stories about cancer and its impact on your life to mweber@curetoday.com. Keep it to 1,000 words please.