Leukemia and Steriods

[Varga]

I use to lurk here several years ago when I ran my first cycle. It was Cyp and EQ and it was great. This was back when I was in college and 22. Since then I maintained what I had and never ran anymore cycles. My stats were 5'8, 185lbs, and around 10-11%bf. I was happy with my body and maintained it naturally.

Feb. 2006 I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and have just wrapped up 10 months of grueling chemo. If anyone has ever had any experience with cancer or has known someone who has they know that chemo can wreak absolute hell on your body. After my intial hospitalization I had lost 40lbs. I looked like I was back in highschool. Throughout the chemo I basically sat around and ate. I'm now 180lbs with about 18%bf. I have just started getting back into the gym doing some cardio and light machine work. I'll eventually work my way back into my split and free weights. I consider myself knowledgable about diet and lifting and know what my body responds best to so I'm very optimistic about were I'm going to get naturally.

However, a year or two down the road I may consider doing another cycle. I would first need to satisfy my concerns about the steriods reactivating the cancer gene (I had an inverted 16 that caused my leukemia). With leukemia being a disease of the bone marrow and thus blood I would think that since anabolics effect your blood supply that you would also be susceptible reactivating the cancer cell growth. If anyone has any ideas or knowledge of this I'd love to know.

BTW my chemo was a success. I've been in remission since my first round with no traceable cancer left in my body. While AML has a death rate of 80% in two years inverted 16 AML is one of the most cureable acute leukemias.

THis is just an opinion,
when you have growth in your body that;s hard to control it is not a good idea to use AAS, Igf-1 or HGH without a doctor's supervision. It is a risk, even though others say they cycled with no issues after chemo I would be worried. The only thing that might be a viable option is a lower test cycle. Since test is produced by your body anyway at 200-300mg EW should be ok. Again, the risk /reward here is not in your favor. Wait few years as some here suggested then make a decission. I like the HRT avenue better because you will use low amounts of test in a controled environment rather than a quick growth spur.
Good luck

 

[Alpine`]

In spastic_gramps's case I DO think this would be asking for trouble. As for my scenario, I really don't think so. Perhaps I just don't want to accept it though. However, my case is a bit different. Keep the informed opinions coming please...

 

[Alpine`]

bump

 

[solidspine]

I would do

Primo and Test E, and see how much you grow,


The gear is not going to reactivate your cancer,


You have lost a lot of muscle and need to consider your overall health, muscle being only one part of the equation.

 

[GoldenDelicious]

pharmacist

i would talk to your oncologist. theyll say "DONT DO IT!!!!" of course, but then tell them taht youre going to do it anyway, but want a frank academic opinion of the risk youre facing.

if a cancer is steroid dependent, using roids is like adding petrol to a fire, and if there are a couple cancer cells that have survived, theyll grow like hell and youre back where you started, looking at another hundred grand worth of chemo.

its a serious decision. do your homework. DONT take the advice of random guys on an internet board about this, when good medical advice is available for a measly doctors fee.

except my advice of course, becasue...im excellent

 

[Alpine`]

I think my main question is: Has there been there definitive proof that androgens speed of the spread/mutation of all (or most) cancers (specifically). Or, if not, what specific types of cancer do androgens accelerate. Or should we conclude since AAS speeds up so many processes within the body that it can only accelerate any cell growth whether it be normal or cancerous mutation.

We know there is no proven correlation between AAS and cancer. However, I'm afraid certain cancers could be greatly accelerated by androgens. I'm trying to figure out which kinds and how strong that link is. I was hoping someone had some pubmeds or something on hand. Either that or an expert... the odds of that on here are about none.

I clearly had some abnormal bone growth in my arm bone. Although it was benign (not cancerous), Its still not a good thing. If it were to keep growing, or start growing again, It could lead to some very serious surgery. But if there is no possible link between its growth and androgens then it's not really an issue. This is what I'm trying to figure out.

 

[Varga]

I know what you saying bro but anybody with that kind of expertise is hard to find and most likely would not be on this board killing time. look for articles dealing with these issues you have and make an educated decission.

 

[bigrand]

pharmacist

i would talk to your oncologist. theyll say "DONT DO IT!!!!" of course, but then tell them taht youre going to do it anyway, but want a frank academic opinion of the risk youre facing.

if a cancer is steroid dependent, using roids is like adding petrol to a fire, and if there are a couple cancer cells that have survived, theyll grow like hell and youre back where you started, looking at another hundred grand worth of chemo.

its a serious decision. do your homework. DONT take the advice of random guys on an internet board about this, when good medical advice is available for a measly doctors fee.

except my advice of course, becasue...im excellent

Id be a little leary....
Your cancer is not a hormone dependant cancer, your mutations are already done and AAS wont cause it to return or a remutation or something like that.....thing is, some AAS stimulate RBC production, im not sure to the extent of WBC stimulation....but if it does, you will be stimulating the production of those already malignant cells. You dont really want to overstimulate that marrow, those mailgnant cell lines are likely still there, though in minimal numbers.

 

[Alpine`]

bump - I wonder how much something like Epistane (or other OTC designers) would stimulate RBC/marrow? In my case, the previously stable (not growing, possibly shrinking) benign cyst (aka, growth, tumor) originates from the center of the upper arm bone. I would assume marrow plays some role. As long as it stayed the same or slowly shrunk (which is common), it has zero effect on me and does not compromise the bone strength in any way. I don't know enough about this area to even make very educated assumptions. AAS use of any kind may have absolutely no effect whatsoever for this type of a benign growth.

 

[solidspine]

I think my main question is: Has there been there definitive proof that androgens speed of the spread/mutation of all (or most) cancers (specifically). Or, if not,

Unfortunately not, or fortunately not, either way these studies have not been conducted