According to the American Cancer Society, there are over 1.6 million new cases of cancer and over 580,000 new cases of cancer each year. That means cancer kills roughly 1,600 people per day, making it the 2nd most common cause of death in the United States. What was even more shocking – the probability of developing cancer at some point in your life is 1:2 for men and 1:3 for women. For men, the most common cancers are lung, prostrate and liver. For women, the most common cancers are lung, breast and colorectal.
Like
everyone else this week, I heard the news about Angelina Jolie coming forward
to say she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy. Jolie’s mother died at the young age of 56,
after battling cancer for a decade.
After finding out through testing, that she had inherited a “faulty”
gene which increased her breast cancer chances to 87%, Jolie opted for the
procedure. I have to say, it takes a lot
of courage to undergo a double mastectomy – especially when there’s no sign you
even have the disease yet. Her openness about
the decision and the treatment has no doubt, inspired many. It got me thinking – what would I do to avoid
cancer? Would I change the way I
live? What I eat? How I look?
So
my question to you this week is, “Would you be willing to sacrifice a body
part, if it meant lowering your risk of this dreaded disease?” We’ve all heard about Race for a Cure, the
Livestrong Foundation and the American Cancer Society – “Do you think more
should be done to raise awareness about cancer?
Do you make conscience decisions to change your behavior to avoid it?” Answers are due no later than Wednesday, May
22nd, 2013. If you or a loved one has been affected by cancer, my
heart and prayers go out to you. If you
feel up to sharing your testimony, please do so – you never know, it could save
a life.
I would be willing to sacrifice a body part if I knew for sure that it would lower my risk of cancer, though it would depend on how vital the body part is. I wouldn't be willing to get rid of my right arm/hand because being an artist I wouldn't be able to live not getting to draw again.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they can raise any more awareness than they already do. They have multiple foundations that get the word across and fundraisers to help find possible cures fro cancer. I don't make conscience decisions to avoid cancer, I just keep doing what I'm doing because there's no real point trying to avoid it. You hear in the news every day about something in our every day lives has been proven to cause cancer. With so many possible ways plus genetics, there's no point in not doing something to just lessen it by a little bit.
I probably wouldn't sacrifice a body part because there is very few times that i heard about people with cancer and getting a part removed and the cancer keeps coming back.
ReplyDeletethe way i see it is that there's no sure way to just get rid of it. it will keep coming back eventually. if that's the case then why chop your body to pieces just to fight the inevitable.
I'd rather just accept my fate and the fact that i have cancer.
and like brittany said, they really can't make people more aware of cancer. you hear about it almost everyday and hear about kids that are suffering with it as well.
Without a second thought, yes. Due to my family history, my chances of having heart disease are pretty high. My father has had 2 open heart surgeries and about 6 or 7 heart attacks (it's sad to think that I've actually lost count.) My grandfather (father's side) died of his second heart attack, and the majority of people in my mother's family (including her) has high-blood pressure. Even though my father's health issues have come from him being overweight and my blood pressure (as far as I know), is relatively normal. I still try to take preventative measures when it comes to being heart healthy. I don't include very much meat in my diet, I drink water, and exercise daily.
ReplyDeleteIf it was cancer that was prevalent in my family, I'd probably do as much if not more to help lower the risk of getting it. I understand that many factors are taken in when it comes to dealing with cancer (what type, what stage it's in, treatment options like removing a body part.) If my risk was high enough, like Angelina's, I'd do the same thing. For me, time is a precious commodity and I've experienced enough moments with my dad where I didn't think he was going to make it to know that being able to live longer to be with the ones you love is completely worth it in the end.
My answer to the question of chopping of a body part is a capital no! There are days where i wonder what would it be like if i lost a finger and that already makes me shiver. I love every part of my body, I mean have you seen it!(Little humor for everyone haha.) I seriously couldn't do it though, If I was meant to have it then I would fight it everyday the way I want to fight it no matter how scared I am of it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is much left to do for raising awareness for cancer because I see people do it all the time, whether its an ad, accessory, or a marathon. It's just someone's opinion, everybody knows of cancer and it's up to them if they want to do anything about it. It's our individual self that make the awareness. The people who are making the cure though, keep at it!
Everyday I am conscious about cancer, that's why i don't like microwaves, i hate sticking my hand in them. I don't like talking on the phones either because of it too. Do I do it, yes, but it's kinda hard to avoid. Recently one of my friends tell me that bottle water can cause cancer and when I heard that I got depressed because I drink it everyday. In the end I still drink it though because I do not like sink water. It's just way to hard to stay away from things that can cause cancer.
I don't know if I would do such drastic procedures to prevent. Not while I'm young. When I was older and the risk was greater I might consider. I agree with Caleb about more awareness. Its out there and I'm sure affects most families. Its just on whether or not you want to take preventatives to help avoid the chance.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I would sacrifice a body part...it depends on how much losing it would effect my life versus having cancer, which seems ridiculous, but that's a big decision.
ReplyDeleteI think people are plenty aware of it, but those organizations you mentioned are doing a great job and should keep it up. I want to hear more about finding cures than letting people know about it (although it is true that awareness can breed action).
I don't make many conscious choices to avoid it. I mean, I wear sunscreen and try to avoid radioactive areas as much as possible, but I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it. My family has a history of heart disease like yours but not cancer.
There is no way that I am losing a body part unless I directly got bit by a zombie and I'm trying to stop myself from becoming a walker. My grandfather had cancer in his nose from being hit with mustard gas during the Korean War, since 1995 he has had at least four removal surgeries and it continues to come back. I think that awareness is at an all time high when it comes to cancer, except when it comes to the subject only the top layer is touched. Nobody really gets into why we get cancer more and more... the answer (in my opinion) is we are what we eat. We eat crap, and it's not even real crap. High fructose corn syrup replace conventional sugar in everything we eat (from cereal to ketchup) and monosodium glutamate does the same on the salt side. Our livestock is unhealthy and die miserable all while being fed GMO corn (which still hasn't been around long enough to know long term effects of). Processed food, fake sugars/ salts, gmo corn and soy, hormone meat, not to mention most red meat gets hosed off with chemicals upon leaving the factory. There is no awareness of the chemicals in which we consume. And as for Angelina Jolie, I don't really find her that brave, because she is so rich that she could have a flawless procedure with the finest doctors and prescription pain meds money can buy. Regular people don't have that option. Sure you can have your body part amputated and replaced with fakes thru an operation you don't remember a week of comatose bed rest and servants to wait on you. I'm much more likely to give props to a regular woman. Angelina Jolie ain't shiiiiit, but I digress.
ReplyDeleteThat's like I become a super rich celebrity and get ball cancer then have a team of the worlds super doctors amputate them and give me a pair of robot balls- all of which I would be fully drugged for and everybody call me a hero for it. humbug
DeleteOh yeah get rid of that cancerous body part. I don't know what part would have to be taken off *COUGH*testicles... I'm fine with that. If that's what it takes to get rid of the cancer, then I have no problem.
ReplyDeleteCancer does run in my family. I'm not sure if its a myth or not, but I also heard that it skips a generation. I've lost both grandmas and some great aunts and uncles. If the generational skip is true, then that means it's targeting me and my brothers, sisters, and cousins.
This used to scare the shit out of me, but some part of me says this is just the way of life for us dirty Americans. This is what we get. I've thought about it, but I've come to terms with it. I'm almost expecting it. You better believe I'm going to fight it and kick its ass, though. If I get cancer, I'm smoking ALL OF THE POT.
That's assuming if the myth is true, I'm not too worried about it anymore. What doesn't give us cancer? Our whole generation will probably be wiped out from brain cancer because of our cell phone usage. It's a pretty grim outlook, but I'm not going to deny the possible truths.
Be ready to come to terms with the sacrifice, because it's not worth losing your life just because you're afraid to lose a body part. Who knows what the future holds? there might be cures in our lifetime, OR! robotic limbs! If I lost a leg to cancer somehow, hook me up with that robo-leg! Stay positive ya'll
My best friend was diagnosed with liver cancer when we were 14, and my little sisters best friend was diagnosed with lymphoma at 13. Seeing the countless excruciating procedures and the physical and emotional strain put on their fragile little bodies was unbearable. Cancer is a perpetual factor in these young women’s lives. The sheer terror that cancer patients face before transplants and important tests and treatments is something that I can even begin to fathom. Watching your friend lose drastic amounts of weight and pick out a wig to cover her shiny, soft, baldhead is a surreal experience you absolutely never expect to endure, let alone be in the position yourself. A beautiful contrast though is the news of a donor finally being approved, or the glorious phrase “you are cancer free!” The awareness in the community that these girls have raised is overwhelming. My friend began a cancer walk at the high school she and my sister’s friend attended and the funds and support are very rewarding and inspiring.
ReplyDeleteAs others have stated, it would depend on the body part as well as the intensity of the risk. If I were in Jolie's position I would have probably done the same. If I had an 87% risk and my mother had away after a ten-year battle I guarantee I would take every preventative option presented to me. Still, the concept of enduring months of surgery and the risks associated with those to completely eliminate a body part that isn’t actually diseased is kind of off to me. You don’t just get cancer; it is in your body as cancerous micro-tumors. You have to manage and prevent cancer through the meals you consume and the lifestyle you choose.
I avoid consuming animals and chemicals, though the latter is damn near impossible. I do smoke and use a microwave as my primary method of “cooking”, so I’m sure I’ve canceled out any preventative measures I take. Skin cancer is the only cancer my family has been afflicted with, but I have much fairer skin than those in my family so I load up on the SPF 80 in hopes that I won’t have to deal with serious repercussions. I feel like I hear about people getting cancerous spots removed successfully quite often. That fact and the hope for finding (or finally releasing) a cure are reassuring and important.
I don't think I would get rid of a body part to prevent it. If I was older than maybe and if I were to be diagnosed then I would definitely do it. It would also depend on the body part. Nearly everyone is effected by caner in some form in their lives. Whether we have it, someone in our family does, or a friend. Many members of my dad's family have had skin cancer and my grandpa died of cancer as well. I think awareness is important, especially with skin cancer. Most don't think twice about jumping into a tanning bed.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd be willing to have a body part amputated to lower the risk of getting cancer. Now, if I got cancer and it came back in the same exact area, then yeah, I'd be willing to sacrifice said body part. That would be an absolute last resort, though. Awareness is higher than it ever has been, with all the different events raising money for it. I don't go out of my way to live my life in an anti-cancerous fashion. My grandmother had colon cancer a couple of years back, but she was lucky enough to have it found early and taken care of before it became a serious problem. The main problem for me is that, regardless of when a health issue arises, I'd have to wait a couple of weeks just to see my family doctor and have it checked out.
ReplyDeleteAn awareness of how your body works is what we should be promoting. We should work towards knowing our family's history of disease and how they've developed for ourselves to help us preventing the worst from happening. For myself, I could not sacrifice a body part of mine in order to lower my risks of cancer.At this point in my life, I don't feel I am brave enough for that decision, but I would guess if I was older and this happened, I would contemplate how my life would be without said body part or choosing to live with the higher risk.
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt, I would totally get rid of a body part to lower my chances and/or if I already had an illness and needed to do it.Really, though, the way modern medicine is, we can survive without all our limbs or other parts and still function--even to the extreme of having to get a prosthetic. I think, though, one of the problems with breast cancer is the idea that many of these women will have to remove one or both breast and are afraid they will no longer be considered women because they don't have them anymore. It's a sad part of this society, but what's more important, is to focus on the fact that you're not dead and (hopefully) on the road to being healthy again.
ReplyDeleteHonestly in my opinion, you can't avoid death. If I knew that I was gonna have cancer, I wouldn't chop off a body part to increase my chance for survival. I would just prepare myself.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that everywhere you turn, there is something new that causes some type of cancer. New medicines, drugs, or some food out there. To me, doing too much of anything will cause cancer.
There is a lot of things people could to to raise others awareness to the issue of cancer; but will these people take head is my question?
You can tell kids, "Hey don't smoke it will give you cancer." But a majority don't care, cause their stresses are too much and they will smoke anyways... That goes the same for adults, especially in America.
We indulge in so much unhealthy activity, fast food diets, then drinking diet sodas to balance out, GMO foods, alcohol consumption, and cigarette smoking. All these things have cancerous ingredients that we pay little attention too since they come with weird names out of Frankenstein's Lab (like Tetrachlorazincsodine) People should question the FDA, instead of holding PSA. Go to the source of the problem.
That's an easy one, yes I would. I rather get rid of a body part then lose my entire life. People are already pretty aware of cancer it's a huge problem in a lot of families. I think a great way to improve it is by tracking diseases in previous family members. I really don't make conscience decisions.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, yes I would rather lose a leg, arm, or breast over my life. Now and days with how technology runs you could get a fake body part and still make it just fine. All it takes is some adjust to a new life, but at least its life. I myself don't have a strong family history of cancer but like they always say the possibility can always happen. We have lots of fundraisers and foundations that aid the fight against cancer but more can always help. I try to always donate and give, knowing that every bit helps. I think people don't really donate because they themselves don't have a history of cancer or may not be strongly connected to someone who has had it. Usually its the drive of knowing someone, or the present history of cancer that make people pitch in. It's something that hits home and no matter what you choose, if you take precaution before cancer or after help, its your choice. Just be ready for whatever it may bring.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely I would sacrifice a body part if it meant I could go on living. And although I understand why Jolie chose to have that procedure, I would not put myself through something like that if I was cancer-free to begin with. 87% risk is super high, but still not a guarantee. I'm more of a "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" kind of person. I don't think that more should be done about cancer awareness as I do about cancer research. I truly think that if America's focus wasn't so much on boner pills and weight loss medications that we would already have a cure for at least one kind of cancer, and that that knowledge would subsequently open the door for understanding how to defeat other kinds of cancer as well.
ReplyDeleteI was 8 and my friend Alicia was 7 when we she was diagnosed with Leukemia, that most common of childhood cancers. She died shortly after she turned 8. I also have a cousin whose wife is now in remission from stage 3 breast cancer (I'm including their story in my final presentation about Healthcare, because her illness nearly bankrupted them). Cancer is scary, but I no longer fear it. My faith is in the technology and the treatments that will continue to evolve towards a cure.
If this body part was substantially small and/or irreverent per say, teeth or piece of organ in order to eradicate the disease, then yes I would be willing. Otherwise, with my experience of life, I would not be able to achieve my potential life the lost of an arm, leg and so on. Unless prosthetic implants have radically been innovated to the point of human likeness.
ReplyDeleteThe information for cancer itself is already exceedingly informed to the public, the only implements that would raise this awareness would be to focus all attention at the disease itself then multiple new subjects.
I absolutely do not make conscious decisions to raise or lower my chance of cancer.
I probably wouldn't sacrifice a part of my body. Mostly because I rarely seen people beat cancer after they have done so. If I were got cancer I would just take it like a man and live the rest of my life the best I can and without the pain of chemo or other therapies.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely would sacrifice a body part for even a chance at survival. I would change anything about myself if it meant to live. When I joined the army and got to a unit, I was a 19 year old kid who picked up smoking because the rest of the people I hung out with were smokers. I smoked for 6 years. When my 6 year old son learned about how cigarettes can cause cancer due to my wife's grandma getting lung cancer, he asked me to stop smoking. October 23, 2012 I quit smoking because cancer became real to me.
ReplyDeleteThat 6 year old asking me to quit smoking was an epiphany for me and the way I was living my life. A boy so frightened to lose his dad that he asked me to quit smoking so I could stick around longer. My son may have saved my life. If cancer developed in an area that I could stop it, I wouldn't think twice about it.
I would owe it to my family to fight. My family has never given up on me and I have no right to give up on them. I would do anything I could to live. All the way up until my last breath.
I feel like cancer is a completely natural occurrence in life, and even if you take all options to avoid getting it, such as eating right or cutting off a body part, the possibility of our bodies generating faulty cells is still present. It is possible to greatly lower your risks of getting it, but even the oxygen we breath is working against our bodies and can create cancer cells.
ReplyDeleteMy point is, I'm all for trying to lower the risks of cancer as much as possible- it is a horrible way to die, but I think everyone should always have an open mind that the risk is still technically there, and everyone has to die eventually, whether we want to or not.
I would be willing to sacrifice a body part to lower my risk of getting cancer. However, if my body is eventually going to have cancer in it, some run in my family and others would be my own fault. I would like to see more done to raise awareness with kids so they can make their own decision as to what they want to do about it. I do not make a conscience effort to avoid cancer. I am just looking at it as, I will die eventually the way I die is up to the higher power in charge of life.
ReplyDeleteNo I would not want to sacrifice my body part Ive already sacrificed my mind enough in this world at by the age of 25 and so when I go I want to go in one piece. No I do not think more should be done to raise awareness. Look at how the world is already. The majority of the world of us that smoke dont give two shits otherwise we would stop now wouldnt we? Or would we continue to blame it on stress to give us a reason to not stop? I try to make conscience decions to stray from the things in life that cause it but like so many others most of the time I fall short. Maybe if I could find the right person in my life to give up my bad habits for I would but until the day my heart does not bleed emotionally for people I care about Ill continue with my bad habits.
ReplyDeleteI would if it has less chances. If I had a family I would do it for them and my self. I think more awareness should be made. Giving people knowledge of where the cancer could come from and why would be a great help to American people. Putting more awareness about what could happen.Sure you could say people know what smoking cuases and people still do it, but when people found out it was bad for your health back in the day a lot of people quite to.
ReplyDeleteCancer and death are a touchy subject. I have had people close to me die over cancer. my brother recently beat it and he was only 30 at the time i had no idea somthing so big can happen so easily. what i remove a bodypart if it had chance to prevent this from happening? yes i would but it can not be my privates (my family would not aprove) neither would i haha. but as of habits i can change them. i am not in the best shape of my life but i sure have time to change then if i was wanting to.
ReplyDelete