Why???????????????

Question

Why is cancer becoming so normal for people to get now and so much more aggressive? I'm always hearing about people getting it, know a lot of people who have lost some one to it and over the last 7-8 years or so its flooding my family. Its about the only thing that scares me cause to be honest its not about to slow down anytime soon. Its very sad and frustrating, why is it becoming so overwhelming? Sorry, not tring to be a downer but I just don't understand.

Answer 1

cancer has been a fatal killer for years.
the fact is that the world becoming more populated means that it looks like more people are getting it.
the reality is more like the same percentage of people are getting it, but the figures of individuals are higher

Answer 2

I am not a doctor, but i have some definite theories on why cancer is becoming so rampant.

They say that cancer is caused by two things: 1) Our immune system breaks down and fails to kill the cancer cells and
2) Your body is overwhelmed by free radicals... let's take a look at both of these.

An immune system is weakened by many things. Contaminants in food and water, severe stress will compromise your immunity. And genetics plays a part too. Look at Dana Reeves... she spent over a decade taking care of an invalid husband (which must have been horribly stressful). Then she had to deal with his untimely death. Within a year, she also developed and died from cancer. The constant stress on the body and mind will break down the immune system.

Free radicals: Our water, air and food are contaminated by pollutants. 100 years ago, people farmed their food and ate it fresh without preservatives or chemicals. Cattle and fowl were raised without steroids or hormones of any kind. Cancer was (relatively speaking) much rarer in the population than it is today.

Unless you plan to move to the wilderness and raise your own chickens and farm your own vegetables, the best thing you can do to avoid cancer is

1) Try to deal effectively with stress... don't let the little things get to you. Take time daily to relax and/or meditate, and have plenty of time to laugh and play.

2) Keep your immune system strong by getting as much fresh air and water as you can. Try to eat right, exercise and have a positive attitude.

3) Don't become a worrier, but report any sudden physical changes to your doctor. Have regular exams.

And remember... cancer is NOT a death sentence. If caught early, many people overcome this disease and go on to live long and healthy lives.

Answer 3

I agree with thurston, we were not meant to eat the junk we do and we certainly were not meant to breath the toxic garbage in the air. That said we can do some thing about it. Eat right, take vitamin, exercise, and live a good life. They say that the average person will get the cancer cell in their bodies at least 20 times during there life. But, the body does it's job in fighting off the cancer cells that are trying to invade the good ones. So, if we don't have a good healthy immune system the bad cells can grow and next thing you know cancer. I've learned that there are plenty of right vitamins that you can take to help you out. I'm with you, I don't understand it and maybe we never will. I believe there are some things in this life that we are just not going to know until we meet our maker and ask the whys????

14 years cancer free, and thanking God everyday for the healing.

Answer 4

I have lost my Paternal side all male to Cancer! I do not think it is flooding, as between the age of 10-30 I never heard, knew or saw anyone with Cancer. As I aged however, like you more and more friends, relatives, were diagnosed with Cancer! As I hit the 35 mark, my relatives were entering their 60's so either heart problems, respiratory problems or cancer. I met a man who is 94 and just given up smoking. I am thinking at 94? As he stated 'Its not that I am afraid of dying, it just that I am afraid of HOW I am going to die!' Humans are genetically encoded to live to a certain age and science, medicine can extend that age, but at what cost! While we take drugs to extend our life, the issue of quality or quantity has been lost somewhere. I have the Cancer gene and am showing a smoldering leukemia at 49 years of age. My only question, quality or quantity of life. We are much better at diagnosing Cancer earlier now than before and if caught early then it can be treated if not cured. However the treatment is serious and with me as I know it is genetic and I just happen to have the gene, but do I want to go through the treatment knowing that it will give me a few extra years of some form of life, but will kill me in the end anyway. No one undertands why some people get cancer and others do not, if they did they would be able to CURE everyone with Cancer. Perhaps that will be the situation in the future, but not in my lifetime. Try not to stress, enjoy what life you have now, because anything could happen tomorrow, from being run over to having a massive heart attack.

Answer 5

Cancer is not more prevalent, it is just more noticeable because there are more survivors.

Cancer has been around since before recorded history. It's always been uncurable with little treatment until just very recently.

Patients with cancer years ago were 'hidden away' and died painfully. In todays world that is no longer the case. Because of better treatments patients are surviviing longer and longer . . which to people who do not know much about cancer . . makes it seem like there is more of it around.

Cancer is 'out of the closet' . . people are more educated and aware of how cancer affects their family, friends, neighbors, and the entire community. Organizations specific to breast or lung cancer routinely run awareness fund raising events. All these events and the education make it seem like cancer is everywhere . . which to me is kind of a good thing that people are so aware of it. I want people to support cancer research. I want a cure. I want this beast gone for good from human existence. But, I don't think there is any more of it than there ever was . . cancer has always been around, it was just (to the general public) invisible before.

Answer 6

Will, It may be of importance to you to know that reported cancer cases are down by about 38%. .. from last year. By that I am referring to breast, colon, and postrate cancer. Why do I know this? Well we volunteer for the ACS (American Cancer Society).... my husband of 33 years, and myself are cancer survivors....and we get all the updated info. from the home office. Our biggest concern now is to get people motivated into contributing funds into cancer research. A cure is close. Tons more dollars are needed to be raised for this deadly disease, which continues to take the lives of our loved ones. I lost my mom to breast cancer, (1983), and a cousin to cancer of the spine ( 1979). And my husband is in recovery from cancer of the throat...and I've had "skin cancer", So you can't possibly have concerns about this or feel as strongly about this as we do......and its encouraging to know that others notice it. I would advise you to volunteer for ACS, get involved,,,in your community. You'll learn a lot, and be informed of all the good stuff being done to protect our loved ones from an otherwise untimely demise. And your right its very overwhelming, and frustrating,,, but ya know what?,,, you and people just like you, are who can make a change. I encourage you to get out there and get involved......Be that person......

Answer 7

VERY GOOD QUESTION! My Mother-In-Law is a Breast Cancer survivor and I was just diagnosed with Stage III Melanoma at the end of January. I continually debated in my mind this same question.

Though I still turn it over in my mind, I decided that the answer I can more easily sleep with is that it didn't just single me out. It came down to being a numbers game. I happened to be an unlucky statistic. I didn't get it through any kind of unhealthy activity. As the population increases, so does the incidence of disease. The only answer is to try to live as healthily as possible (within reason), love as much as possible, share as much as possible, learn as much as possible, and laugh as much as possible. But definitely get regular check-ups at the doctor. If Cancer is present, early detection can definitely have a dramatic effect in helping to save your life.

Answer 8

to be honest, cancer isnt anything new. cancer has always been around. I mean think about it, how many times have you heard that someone died of natural causes or old age. come on, old age isnt a death sentence. now that science is soooo developed they are able to detect new and different things. In the 1930's they didn't have all this new fancy equipment. it all has to do with the advances in science and technology!

Answer 9

My personal feelings are that we live in a toxic society! We eat junk, we breathe junk, we don't exercise, we live in stressful situations. It all boils down to the immune system being taxed to the point that cancer can invade.

Answer 10

One in three people will get cancer sometimes during their lifetime.
it is the numbers game.
more and more cancers are being managed, it is no longer an automatic death sentence.
Early detection is the best treatment, and more people are taking advantage of it.
Thanks to colonoscopes, pap smears, mammograms, prostate biospies,cancers are being discovered early. It's bad news, you have cancer. Good news. We caught it early.

Cancer survivors are so common, and that's the right idea, we want cancer SURVIVORS.

Be afraid of getting it? No. Be concerned . yes! If you have ANY concerns, speak to your doctor. Please.!