Get Checked
The good news is that more and more people are surviving cancer, of all types.
The really great thing about all of the organizations who have helped fund research for so many different types of cancer is that scientists and doctors have had the opportunity to find a way to treat or even cure some of those types of cancers. This is particularly true when a cancer is caught early on, before it’s had a chance to spread. Overall, when accounting for all forms of cancers, 5-year relative survival has increased from 48.7% in 1975 to 69.3% in 2009 (seer.cancer.gov), which is absolutely fantastic!
Early detection and even prevention is such an important aspect of cancer treatment (and hopefully curability), and yet there seems to be very minimal focus on it in our society. This is kind of surprising, given the abundance of cancer cases in the country – according to seer.cancer.gov, approximately 38.5% of men and women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime.
In 2016, that was an estimated 1,685,210 diagnoses… with 595,690 expected fatalities. The crazy part is that a very large proportion of those could have been prevented. While we won’t go into all of the details here (we’re assuming we’re among a very small number of people for whom statistics and straight data is thrilling – but if data floats your boat, here’s a helpful link), suffice it to say that it’s kind of ridiculous how many of those fatalities could be avoided by some basic lifestyle changes.
The first step to checking cancer is getting checked for cancer.
Undergoing screening (ESPECIALLY if you’re considered high risk) can help prevent several types of cancer or offer the chance for early detection which likely means less extensive treatment and heightened potential for success. Keep in mind, screening doesn’t just mean “go in for a big scary test because you’re being told you have to / should” – it also means being aware of your own body and being educated enough to know when something may pose reason for concern.
Prevention and screening are two of the simplest ways to help tilt the odds in your favor when it comes to cancer. People are terrified of cancer, though, which means that many times they make the situation worse for themselves by assuming “ehhhh I’m okay…” or “it couldn’t happen to me.” And, let’s be honest, many elements of personal health and healthcare are stigmatized in our society, which just makes people all the more unwilling to protect themselves. Beyond that – for goodness sake, even *screening* can be expensive, especially if your insurance doesn’t cover that test, so many people are just flat out unable to afford to get themselves checked.
