On the flu vaccine & boosting your immune system

There hasn't been much for me to write about lately, except for the [lousy] weather and it's contribution to my feeling of malaise (which I'm not going to bore you with today), but now that the winter season is upon us, and with it the heightened awareness of the greater potential for getting sick, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to post some information I think might help us all get through this season in far better shape.

If you have cancer, the question of the efficacy of the flu vaccine has always been a controversial one. Most oncologists will tell you to get vaccinated, because it won't do any harm, and it may be effective, but now there is evidence to support that belief.

The available literature shows that patients with cancer do mount an immune response to influenza immunization. It is unclear, however, whether this response is as robust as that seen in otherwise healthy persons. The CDC recommends annual influenza vaccination for this patient population. Preliminary data suggest that influenza vaccination between cycles of chemotherapy may be more effective than vaccination on day 1 of chemotherapy. Larger, well-designed prospective studies are needed to assess the efficacy of the influenza vaccination in patients with cancer, and the optimal timing of vaccination relative to chemotherapy administration.

There was also this article from the New England Journal of Medicine, on why everyone should get the flu vaccine, which I unfortunately am unable to fully access (the link is only for the first 100 words), but to paraphrase:

.....vaccination decreases the likelihood that an exposed person will pass virus on to others. If sufficient numbers of people can be vaccinated in time, an epidemic can be slowed or even stopped in its tracks.

And finally from the NY Times on how not to fight a cold. This article was published on the op-ed page, but there is a lot of evidence to support this theory (including the two links in the side bar of this blog on why boosting your immune system is not a good idea).

[A] susceptibility to cold symptoms is not a sign of a weakened immune system, but quite the opposite. And if you’re looking to quell those symptoms, strengthening your immune system may be counterproductive. It could aggravate the symptoms by amplifying the very inflammatory agents that cause them.

The results are in

And I am iron deficient, big time. [Which would account for my low hemoglobin] Test Result Ref Range IRON 30 59-158 mcg/dL TOTAL IRON BINDING CAPACITY 231 250-420 mcg/dL IRON SAT 13 20-50 % My Ferritin levels were good, but that could be because Ferritin is also an "acute phase reactant", that is sometimes increased with acute or chronic disease. Folate and B12 levels were also within the normal range. The only problem now is determining what is causing the iron deficiency, which in the case of men, is [very] rare. My oncologist has given me a Globin Fecal test to perform, and has scheduled me for a consultation with a colorectal surgeon to discuss performing a colonoscopy, which could be problematic because of my large spleen. In the mean time, I've decided to start taking an iron supplement, it's only the quantity that is causing me some consternation. I've been told by a very knowledgeable person that to overcome an iron deficiency, I need to be taking 300 mg o...

This is just one of those days

It's one of those days you just want to sit around the house and do absolutely nothing, or watch some movies you have recorded. It might even be a good day to read a book, if you were so inclined, which I am not. As you should be able to see from the view out my bedroom window, it is raining outside. The rain started last night, and hasn't let up since. I can't complain too much though, as this is the rainy season, and we do need the rain. Plus Monday's are typically my day off from exercise, so I will surprise everyone, and not complain. I just feel sorry for anyone who might be visiting from, say Argentina, like a friend of mine (fellow MCLer), who happens to be in Cambria today. He might be a little disappointed. Fortunately the rest of the week, when he will be in LA, will be nice, and the real intent of his trip was to visit his son in Tahoe, who works at one of the ski resorts, and ski, so I know he's not complaining too much either. This weather will actually...

When is enough, enough?

Today I learned, Lance Armstrong, the most drug tested athlete in the history of sport, is being accused of doping, again . This time by the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA), who claim they have collected blood samples from him in 2009 and 2010 that were “fully consistent with blood manipulation including EPO use and/or blood transfusions.” Really! What took them so long? The French have been trying to make allegations of drug doping stick for years, ever since he won his first Tour d'France, but to no avail. And now the USADA claims to have evidence to support that claim, and they've waited almost 3 years before releasing this evidence. Needless to say, I am skeptical. Then there's this from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO): Increasing the federal excise tax on cigarettes by 50 cents per pack eventually would increase Medicare and Social Security spending, slightly. Eventually? What is the CBO suggesting here? That we should encourage smoking, because if we don't, in...

LIVING WITH MCL

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