THE CANCER MYSTERY.

Daily hearts are broken, daily dreams are crushed, dreams of a better, brighter and happier future.  Body and soul tremble at the diagnosis of it. Fight ensue afterwards. Do we stand a chance? Is it a losing battle we are engaged in? Are we fighting from a lower ground, a more disadvantaged point? Cash minted by pharmaceutical companies but with little hope, if ever any, given to the sick and their families. Trips abroad, but do things get any better? DO THEY? DO THEY?

It hurts to lose someone to this deadly scourge, to lose close relatives, friends, colleagues associates, our beloved leaders, how at times I think it got the power to chose who to take. It’s now gotten to a point that the whole nation cries, the whole world cries for a solution, hurts for the end of this crisis. But it seems that we are far from the end and not even slightly approaching it. Maybe we are even still figuring the direction from which to launch the attack. Maybe, just maybe, we are throwing blind kicks that only serve to hurt us the more.

If we are to fight, we need to understand our enemy. If we are to win ,we got to build our armory, restock our ammunition , but how will it help if all we have to launch against it is what’s not worked before, its like paint balling, they just enjoy the fun, its like rubber bullets, never taking the enemy down, and sometimes at best like tasers ,taking the enemy down only to come back with full force destroying all barriers, breaking down all the walls and leaving behind nothing but ruins, never to be rebuilt.

Cancer is a tumor, a growth, that goes haywire and uncontrollably increases in size. Usually happens when the genes responsible for its regulation mutates and becomes nonfunctional or mal-functional. Proto oncogenes are genes that usually signal cell divisions, the basis of growth, its mutation, to oncogene, can lead to uncontrolled cell division hence increased growth. At the same time our wonderfully designed body has genes strategically set to curb growth, the tumor suppressor genes which suppresses growth majorly through apoptosis, programmed cell death. Its mutation can also lead to development of tumor. These mutations do not occur overnight but gradually over time and in a step wise manner gives forth such effect. This basically explains the occurrence of all tumors.

There are many misconceptions about cancer.  Belief that sugar causes cancer is nonfactual. Sugar in its most raw form I mean. That cancer thrives in sugar is true, but no more as any other normal cell will depend on sugar. Attempt to starve cancer cells by quitting sugar is a futile endeavor, unless the plan involves starving yourself to death. That cancer is purely genetic and you can’t get it if none of your family members had it is untrue. First of all, you can be the first. And in as much as genetic predisposition ranks high in risks of getting cancer its not the only way one can be predisposed. There are many carcinogens, cancer forming, chemicals and foods that induce the mutations. Among others these include asbestos, benzene, naphthalene, lead, radiation. Newest additions are processed meat, and some medication. Sad to note that some chemotherapeutic agents used in treatment predisposes one to increased risk of cancer and radiotherapy in itself is a form of radiation.

Thus much, the fight seems futile, but over the years there’s been great advancement diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and with daily increased number of new cancer cases, there’s been increased number of survivors and since 1970s its doubled. Hope lies at hand but this only will be the case with; 

Early diagnosis; that painless difficulty in swallowing, that urge to take a long call just minutes after doing the same, that feeling of never fully relieving yourself, the numerous visits to the urinal, the ever-increasing night urinal visits, the ever-painful sexual intercourse. They could be nothing, a red herring to the physician, but they could be all you need for an early diagnosis, get screened, rule it out, or seek help if it happens to be cancer. Early diagnosis increases the chances of survival many folds. Early care ensures minimal cases of metastasis to other organs, a major complication of late diagnosis, and surgery on itself might just be the only needed intervention.

VACCINATION; against cancer? No at least not for now, but it’s not totally impossible. One of the major breakthroughs we are waiting for in the war against this national disaster. Today I rather present a different approach. Some cancers are caused by virus, oncoviruses that we actually can be vaccinated against. Up to 70% of cervical cancers are caused by HPV a sexually transmitted virus that we can get vaccinated against. Sexually inactive young girls are highly advised to get this vaccination. Inactive I say because up to 80% of sexually active adult have and or will contract this virus. There are other oncoviruses like hepatitis B that causes hepatocellular carcinoma which can be vaccinated against.

This is a battle that we still stand a chance to win. Like the HIV scourge, awareness need to be made, like the HIV scourge, we need governments full involvement, especially in acquisition of screening, diagnostic and treatment equipment.

We mourn all those that we have lost to this deadly disease.