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04/09/2007: "The Death of a Cell"

Around 60 billion cells die and are reborn each day in the average human adult. I’ve read that your liver can actually regenerate itself in two months. This orderly process is called apoptosis or programmed cell death (PCD). Cells can also die a traumatic death called necrosis. Apoptosis requires a complicated series of processes and communications so that the body can safely dispose of the cell corpses and pieces. In contrast, without communications, the immune system is not sure of the location or what to do with cells that die via necrosis.

I bring this up because I have a lot of cancer cells that need to die. The dendritic cell therapy I am undergoing should start to cause some havoc for my cancer cells around this time. I was told that between the 4th and 5th treatment, things should start to kick in (if they are going to). Cells go cancerous (for various reasons) and begin fermenting sugar in an anaerobic environment. Some forms of alternative cancer treatment can actually cause a cancer cell to change back to a normal cell. But the process I am going through is all about death.

So I am not sure how the body is supposed to dispose of these cells when they start to die. I was reading about one alternative treatment that is a little dangerous for lung cancer patients. Apparently, dead cells in the lungs can be a problem. In other organs, the body’s usual waste disposal system will kick in.

I am really happy to have a decline in the arm pain that I have suffered through the last several months. I also know that it can come back so I am hoping for the best. In addition to this, my lungs are very short and I have a pretty good persistant cough. My hopes are that my body is trying to dispose of some of the “too numerous to count” cancer tumors that reside in my lungs. Also, within the last couple of days, my kidneys are giving me some pain. Since this is a primary elimination organ, I am hopeful that they are busy as well. I am a little ways from going through another PET scan that would confirm or disuade my hopes. So for now, this is my story and I am sticking to it.