Cancer is a word – not a sentence!

OK, the heading for this e-newsletter is not original – but I can’t think of a better one.

Unfortunately there’s lots of guff written about cancer, some of which is worthwhile and some total garbage.  Here’s where the Internet can be one of the worst resources for information, because there is nobody monitoring what is being written, so you can get all sorts of tripe or somebody’s personal wheelbarrow being pushed upon the unsuspecting public.  Just because you can read it somewhere doesn’t make it necessarily true!  My words of wisdom excepted of course.

One of the problems when discussing “cancer” is that it is not just one condition.  There are many different types of cancer.  Some won’t kill you even if you live to be 140.  Some can kill you in three months.  To make it even more complicated some are very slow growing, while others can be horribly aggressive.

So where do you stand in all this?  Well, you should be aware that “cancer” is always a possibility, especially as we get older, however the secret is to get at any cancer early.  If you notice a change in yourself, body or habits, get it checked.  Don’t procrastinate.  The earlier the better!

Now what happens if the diagnosis is “cancer”?  The onus is now on you to find out as much as you can about your particular cancer.  Talk with your treating doctors, and get information from reliable internet sites.  Note I say “reliable” sites.  There are always plenty of sites ready to sell you snake oil.  However, I do suggest you read everything and become the world expert on your own condition.  But don’t buy snake oil.

There are specialists in cancer diagnosis and treatment called Oncologists, and we have some in the hospital every day.  There can be life after cancer – just get at it early.