Experience I'm a Doctor of Medicine. Licensed/certified physician and surgeon and specialist in Medical
Oncology and Radiation therapy in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and the European Union. Background in Radiation Therapy, Medical Oncology, Radiation Protection, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gynecological Oncology, Clinical Pathology, Clinical Cytology,Hematology and Internal Medicine.
M.D. from the faculty of medicine, Royal Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Have also been an exchange student at the Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem Israel. Former medical consultant, Swedish National Board of Radiation Protection. Former Police Surgeon and Medical Examiner, Stockholm Police Department. Former Chief Medical Officer, The Royal Guards, The Royal Horse Guards and the Royal Household Brigade, Royal Swedish Army Medical Corps. Now in private practice in Stockholm, Sweden.
I also answer questions in these other categories: General History,
Military History,
Brain Tumors,
Breast Cancer,
Colon Cancer
Question There has been some cancer in my family, but it has not
been a strong theme. I had a Stage 0 breast cancer (DCIS &
LCIS) in 2005 after taking prescribed topical progesterone.
I had precancerous cells due to HPV caught from my husband
and had two LEEP procedures in 2002 and 2004. I had a very
small colon polyp removed in 2008. I have had a dozen or so
scaly brown spots removed from my skin after many years of
outdoors activity, including burns, before sunscreens were
widely available.
I have never smoked, very rarely drink, am a normal weight
and was for most of my life at the bottom of the normal
weight range. For most of my life, I was very physically
active. I have never engaged in risky behaviors per se.
I have had an extremely stressful life due to past abuse
and raising a child with special needs alone. I have been
very successful in raising that child, but to do so, I
essentially lost my career and have suffered poverty due to
homeschooling, cancer, getting fired after complaining
about sexual harassment, and a serious work accident that
damaged my spine.
I am trying to learn stress reduction techniques and trying
to get my fitness back though my state doesn't force
insurance companies to pay for doctor ordered treatment, so
I'm still injured and unable to do all I could before. My
teenager is challenging at times but he's brilliant and
well-adapted. He promises to take care of me when I'm old.
Now, despite the stress of my situation, I want to reduce
my chances of dying of cancer. I see the doctor regularly
and get all the tests they think I should have. I don't
have known genetic vulnerability, but my mother and her
sister had breast cancer after hormone therapy and my
grandmother had skin cancer and possibly one other cancer.
What can I do other than good nutrition, exercise, stress
reduction and seeing the doctor to reduce my risks? I want
to live a long life.
Answer The only things you can do is to have regular breast (with mammography, ultrasound & MRI breast scans and biopsies when needed), gynecological, colon & skin check ups. That is all that is possible at present! And of course avoid ultraviolet light! Sunscreens unfortunately do not offer protection enough regardless of whatever their manufacturers say. Good luck!
