After reading a startling article on AOL/WebMD regarding Cancer Myths, I felt like addressing the issue. A great number of the general population beleive that a cure is being kept secret from the public. Whether the validity of that statement holds true or not, it is important to note several facts about this disease. Cancer does not discriminate, and this is why it is such a hard disease to confine. There are many elements or combinations that can contribute to its cause. For instance, genetic mutations, cacinogens, etc... To have a "cure" would not make sense since this disease can not be restricted in being treated in one simple manner. Furthermore, issues such as multi-drug resistance proteins against chemotherapy can become an issue in which case alternative treatment must be conducted. Treatment is based on numerous criteria that is individualized to each patient. The different types of cancers are treated in different manners based on what they effect. Research is currently being conducted in all aspects to understand the wrath of this disease. Researchers look at Programmed Cell Death to see what malfunctions in this complex system could potentially lead to cancer. This is just one example of the angle that is being taken in order to localize this epidemic. The complexity of this disease makes a "cure" difficult to find, nonetheless treatments are becoming more efficient in recent years depending on the type of cancer. Nonetheless, perserverance in battle will ultimately lead to the victory against this disease in all aspects!
Last edited by ArishaPatel; 07-12-2005 at 07:15 PM.
I am so thankful for the treatments that are available now for treating cancer. Although chemotherapy, radiation and surgery seem barbaric, right now they are all we have. My husband says that in 10 or 20 years treatment will be so different and so much better. I am thankful for the dedicated researchers who have devoted their lives to finding a cure. I pray for these researchers. In the last 30 years survival rates have improved dramatically for many cancers--especially childhood leukemia, and this is because of research and better treatment, but we still have a long way to go. If the cancer has already spread at diagnosis, no matter how good the cancer responds to chemo at first, survival rates are very low as the cancer tends to become resistant to chemo therapy and relapses.
When someone you love has cancer and is given a terminal diagnosis, it is very easy to become desperate and seek help from anyone who will offer hope of a cure. I think that there are a lot of unscrupulous people and quacks who for the love of money try to sell books, natural products, diets, etc. to these desperate people. My son has been on 3 different chemotherapy regimens and a clinical trial for antiangiogenesis (preventing the formation of tumor blood vessels) drugs. I am giving him an assortment of over 30 vitamins and supplements that are supposed to be antiangiogenic recommended to me by someone who gave them to his wife when they were told 8 years ago that her cancer would kill her in 7 months.
I don't believe there will be just one cure for cancer of course, because there are so many different kinds of cancer. I have looked and looked for answers--for a better way--a way that will save my 19 year old son who was diagnosed with a rare cancer--alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma--in Feb 2004. His battle with cancer is on another string here. You could say that he is living on borrowed time. When diagnosed he was failing fast and I am sure he would not be here now without chemo, radiation and surgery. I don't know how much longer we will have him with us. My heart breaks at the thought of life without him. But for today, he is alive and I am so thankful that after all he has been through he is still with us.
I recently read an article that says that the rates of all cancer are increasing at about 1% per year. That is understandable -- as our population ages -- the risk increases. It is not understandable why the rates would be increasing for childhood cancer. What is causing an increasing rate of cancer in both children and adults? Is it something in the food we eat, the air we breath, the water we drink? No one knows.
Last edited by Prayingmom; 07-15-2005 at 02:06 AM.
My son was always very healthy. He had always been the healthiest of my children. He was tall and thin, athletic. I can't say that he lived a healthy lifestyle, but he was never sick. He stayed up too late and probably didn't get enough sleep. He didn't eat right. He drank too many sodas. He had a very serious sunburn two years before the cancer diagnosis. He didn't smoke, drink or do drugs. Doctors say they don't know what causes the cancer he has: rhabdomyosarcoma. I post on a list with other parents whose children have the same cancer as my son. Some there have children who were born with this cancer or it developed soon after birth. The peak ages for development of this cancer are 1-6 and then again at ages 15-18 with slightly more boys than girls.
After I posted last night, I read an article about a new study that has been released just this week. Headlines include "Unborn babies soaked in chemicals" and "Toxic elements found in infants." It is hard to imagine that chemicals banned in our country 30 years ago are showing up in these unborn infants. You should read those articles. At the turn of the century, before modern medicine many, many children died of infectious disease. At a family cemetery my dad has pointed out to me a row of children's graves and has told me that they all died of yellow fever--all the same year. Perhaps infant mortality wasn't as bad at that time in America as it is now in Africa where many children die before their fifth birthday, but a lot of children died here from diseases or infections that are now preventable. Today in America the #1 disease killer of children is cancer--it is still rare, but I have read that 1 out of 330 children in America will have cancer before their 20th birthday. What is causing the 1% rise in cancer rates every year here in our country? I am afraid that our environment is becoming more and more toxic.
I watched a fictional movie recently in which researchers found the cure for AIDS and then tried to keep it a secret, murdering their cured experimental patients and anyone else who learned the secret because a cure would mean the end of big money for them. Man, that is just fiction. There really are researchers who care and who work tirlessly their whole lives trying to find a cure. Their just isn't a simple solution to cancer. It won't be just one answer. When someone says they have found some natural product from the rain forests of South America that is the answer like graviola--I think more research does need to be done. Many of our modern medicines have been developed from natural products & herbal remedies.
Last edited by Prayingmom; 07-15-2005 at 10:53 AM.
I am very interesting about this discussion. I agree with Prayingmom that the development of cancer cure is growing fast now. 40 years ago, if you have cancer it means you have no hope.
Last 30 years, although very slowly, we could see how some cancer could have much better cured rate such as Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Breast Cancer. Thank's to researcher, who had worked hard in oncology fields.
About Asian people, why do they have lower rate of cancer, it very depends on the type of cancer. It is true for Leukemia, Lymphoma, Lung Cancer, Colon Cancer, and Prostate Cancer but it is wrong if you know the fact that Japan, China, and Korean people are very prone to stomach and liver cancer. Definitely, Cancer is genetic disease and each race has their own cancer threat.
However, junk food culture seems to increase colon and rectal cancer rate even in Asia.
The best thing for who has the prosperity and power, if they really care to people they should invest more and give attention to cancer research rather than invest billion of dollars in weapon industry for killing powerless people. If we compare, the price of one of F-117 Nighthawk could be used to run 10 years of Cancer research in many American University.
Alternative medicine is one important key (many other keys are exist),as example Acute Myeloid Leukemia M3 (promyelocytic) now has very good cured rate because a breakthrough from Chinese traditional medicine by using a type of Arsenic in 1998.
As a person who also always worry to cancer, I always wish that cancer cure could be found immediately.
My prays for every cancer patient especially in this healthboard
Cancer Myths 
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