'Cancer, the other 'C' word.

When you hear the word cancer many things come to mind it's sort of like the uninvited drunk cousin who shows up at your wedding. According to the National Cancer Institute cancer is defined as "Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.

Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for the organ or type of cell in which they start - for example, cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer; cancer that begins in basal cells of the skin is called basal cell carcinoma."

Nowadays cancer does not mean death, there are so many innovative clinical trials and treatments out there it's amazing what doctors can do now. There are not only the traditional medicines but there are great holistic treatments as well. Also it is good to know your family history of cancer, there is not only the BRACAnalysis test but a gene test that you can take it's important to know everything you can. Do you know that cancer deaths decreased 1.6 percent per year from 2001 to 2006 and are decreasing every year! Meaning mortality rate is going down because researchers are beginning to understand more and more on how to fight this disease.

I was lucky enough not to have to go through chemotherapy and radiation but I know many people who have gone through it. Some yes have not been so lucky, but not because of the treatment but because of their stage of cancer. However, the lucky ones have out weighed the unlucky. When you lose your hair from chemo, yes it's awful, embarrassing and not attractive. As one person I know said, I saved a ton of money on not going to the beauty salon paying for an overpriced haircut.

As my doctors told me we really don't know 'what causes cancer', we know how to fight it with treatment. Now that being said, some say there are links to smoking, drinking alcohol and caffeine. While all of these habits are really not good for you anyway, it's probably best to eliminate them so you can begin the process of living a healthy life. In recent studies there were links to soy preventing breast cancer, while this is not concrete nor should you go out and buy every soy product you can find, it is hopeful.

Understanding how cancer works and operates will make you feel at ease once you know the facts. Once the fear sets in, the anger comes along and it is important to take that anger and channel it into knowing all you can about how to fight. Fighters always win, I'm a fighter and I won.


Here are some links which I have found useful.

http://www.breastcancer.org/

http://ww5.komen.org/

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/default.aspx

http://curezone.com/diseases/cancer/cancercured.asp

http://www.bracnow.com/