A Candid Conversation about Cancer
- Bethany Sweitzer
- Jan 29, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: May 20, 2022
"The major causes of disease in the 19th century and early 20th century that was killing people was infections, like tuberculosis and pneumonia, so we developed penicillin and all these great drugs, so people lived. . .The problem is we've taken the same attitude of "here's a magic pill" and we've applied it to a dietary disease!" Jason Fung, nephrologist
I recently had a very candid conversation with a friend of mine. We talked about what it was like to receive a cancer diagnosis, what thoughts were running through my head when I first heard the news that I had cancer, and we ended up covering a wide scope of information about cancer treatment in general. In this conversation, my friend asked a question that stopped me in my tracks. Although I thought I knew the answer, I realized that it would be a hard pill for many people to swallow, especially those in the medical field working so hard to cure cancer. The question she posed to me was "if there is a cure for cancer, will it ever be gone completely?"
As our understanding of cancer has increased, so has our hope that it will one day be gone for good. Unfortunately, while the cure for cancer will give that hope to each individual that it cures, because of the nature of the cure (it's looking more and more like prevention, or hard lifestyle changes will be the eventual "cure" rather than any kind of pill), it will never be able to offer humankind the security of never seeing cancer again.
This is because the causes of cancer are deep-rooted in our circumstance as people who have to deal with the consequences of what previous generations have done; All of the choices our ancestors have made: to saturate our lives with harmful chemicals, increase radon levels in the soil (radon is a known Group 1 carcinogen), and make the most unhealthy sugar-filled foods readily available, has left us with an unavoidable amount of carcinogens around us. Generations before us were not trying to feed disease when they manufactured tobacco, or when they added 2,3-Naphthalenediol to hair dyes, as well as hundreds of other questionable chemicals to products we use daily. Trial and error is simply part of our world. With each generation, our technological leaps and bounds puts society in a sort of two steps forward, one step back position; The more chemicals we create and use, the more likely it is that we create another cancer-causing agent, and if it is a carcinogen, we leave the next generation the burden of discovering that, and eradicating it from society.
With each generation, our technological leaps and bounds puts society in a sort of two-steps-forward, one-step-back, position; The more chemicals we create and use, the more likely it is that we create another cancer-causing agent, and if it is a carcinogen, we leave the next generation the burden of discovering that, and dealing with it.
With some carcinogens, it is not as simple as the U.S. banning and regulating the use of that harmful ingredient. What we face in this generation is an overwhelming list of carcinogens that are being willingly used by society because they satisfy people's desire for convenience. These are the less obvious (and more prominent) carcinogens such as an unhealthy diet, an overuse of chemicals in our toiletries and cleaning products, and our overall unhealthy lifestyles. Generations before us have made carcinogens an integral part of our lives.
To view the full, official Report on Carcinogens from the United States National Institute of Health, click HERE. You might be surprised to recognize some of the things on the list that are classified as "known to cause cancer".
All of this does not mean that we won't be able to cure almost all cases of cancer in the future. In fact, some medical professionals predict that one day cancer will be as casually treated as the common cold! The cure, however, might not be a single pill, shot, or medicine that we can use to eradicate cancer. Cancer has many different types and forms, and individual body types play a significant role in how cancer acts. As more and more doctors and scientists are finding out, the cure for cancer is found in removing the stimulus (which can be different for everyone, as we discussed the many carcinogens that exist today), boosting the immune system (through healthy diet and lifestyle), and finally finding natural elements that target and kill cancerous cells.
In the meantime, every doctor, naturopath, psychologist, and dietitian will recommend that in order to have a long happy life, you should take care of your body, surround yourself with a good social life, reduce stress, and do what you can do be mentally stable and spiritually content.
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