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Cancer

Fnu Laiba

12 ELA Section 3
Mr.Janosch
11/28/17
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“According to the World Health Organization (WHO),​ cancer is one of the leading causes

of death worldwide and causes more than 16 percent of deaths each year” ​(“Cancer”).​ Cancer is

one of the death taking disease which nowadays is being caused by obesity and can be treated by

using several methods. Living with cancer changes the whole life of a person and make them

value even the small things around them. The important role in cancer patient life is played by its

family and friends whose support help them to overcome cancer.

Cancer is a life threatening disease which is sometimes considered as untreatable and

painful disease. The ones who live through this disease value things more than a normal person

and lives differently. Cancer can affect both men and women with different types of cancer being

formed in their body. ​As stated in “Cancer”, Any part of the body can be affected by Cancer. In

United States men mostly suffer from lung, prostate, and colon cancer while women suffer from

breast, lung and colon cancer. Colon and lung cancer is the common one among both genders.

“Symptoms for these types of cancer can take many forms. Early signs of lung cancer may

include coughing, chest pains, or trouble breathing. An abnormal lump under the skin or skin

discoloration may also indicate cancer. Cancer can cause those afflicted to experience fever,

chills, loss of appetite and weight, pain, and fatigue.” Cancer can occur in many forms, it varies

in genders but sometime both a male and female can have same type of cancer too. Beside that a

person can experience several symptoms such as coughing, fever, loss of pain and trouble

breathing.
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Cancers are large group of diseases and therefore have a wide range of causes. One of the

cause of cancer nowadays in US is obesity. “In the US, overweight and obesity-related cancers

make up 40 per cent of all cancers, according to a report of the US Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC) in October” ​(Bhagabati)​. These days people eat things that make them

gain weight and then later on increasing of weight becomes worse and turn into an untreatable

diseases like cancer. “Be warned -- for a few extra kilos today can multiply tomorrow, putting

you at increased risk of many diseases, including cancer”. ​According to a report by the World

Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer,​ you can get several types of

cancers and these include cancers of breast, ovary, colon and rectum, liver, kidney, pancreas,

gastric cardia, oesophagus, and endometrium of the uterus, as well as advanced prostate cancer,

cancers of the gallbladder and thyroid, and multiple myeloma and meningioma brain tumour.

(Bhagabati).​ Being an obese nowadays can be injurious to health therefore it’s better to put some

effort in maintaining a good shape so you can prevent your body from being sick. Beside obesity

there are many other causes such as gene mutations, radiations, tobacco, alcohol and certain

drugs that can lead to cancer. ​According to the book “Cancer and Causes”, ​“Cancer occurs

because of mutations in the genes responsible for cell multiplication and repair”. Genes mutation

are not necessarily passed through parents but instead it have some factors like radiations,

viruses and tobacco that causes these mutations which can end up in an illness to cancer. “Some

types of leukaemia and cancers of the breast, lung, and thyroid are specifically associated with

exposure to ionizing radiation. However, ionizing radiation may also increase the likelihood of

cancer of most other sites, including the stomach, large intestine, and bladder”​(Cancer and

Causes).​ Just like obesity, ionizing ultraviolet radiation can also cause breast and thyroid cancer
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but beside those two it can also affect lung, stomach, large intestine and bladder. Too many

drugs and excessive use of drug also plays a role in developing cancer. ​As stated in “Cancer and

Causes”, ​“Overshadowing all these, however, is the critical role of tobacco smoking as a leading

cause of cancer in many countries ​(IARC, 1986)​”. People worldwide are so addicted to drugs

that they don’t even realize that their body can be harmed in different ways which can kill them.

One death taking disease is cancer and excessive use of drugs can lead you to death.

Cancer can be treated in many ways but most of the treatments have negative side effects

which can cause more severe problems. The most common treatments that most of the

Oncologists prefer are removal of tumor through surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or

sometimes a combination of one of these options. “Radiation therapy involves the use of

radiation such as gamma rays or electron beams to kill cancer cells, while chemotherapy

involves the use of strong drugs to treat cancer or any other disease”. These two treatments are

often used together to treat intermediate stage tumors​(Cancer).​ Using chemotherapy and

radiation therapy might be helpful in some ways but it have some negative effects that can make

things worse for a cancer patient. ​The article “Cancer” says that after radiation and

chemotherapy a person can experience nausea, hair loss, pain and vomiting. Furthermore

radiation therapy can also increase the risk of developing more cancers within a patient.

Immunotherapy can be a better treatment that can be use to treat cancer since it have less side

effects than other treatments. ​“The drugs involved in immunotherapy can produce negative side

effects including nausea, rashes, and diarrhea, although these side effects tend to be less severe

than those associated with other cancer treatments”​(Cancer).​ Due to the fear of side effects that

can make things worse some patients refer palliative care which helps in easing the patient’s
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discomfort rather than treating the cancer. ​As stated in “Cancer”, ​“Some patients, however,

choose not to pursue treatment because they believe the negative side effects of these treatments

exceed the potential benefits”. Some patients find this more helpful because they don’t find

themselves strong enough to deal with other problems too. Since Obesity is one of the causes of

cancer it can be prevented by just maintaining a good health. “Dietary patterns that include

higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and unsaturated fat, as

well as lower intakes of refined starch, red meat, trans and saturated fats, and sugar-sweetened

foods and drinks can contribute to long-term weight control, according to the IARC”​(Bhagabati).

You can save yourself from having cancer just by eating healthy food. ​According to the book

“Cancer and Causes”, ​“studies indicate that excessive amounts of animal products in the diet,

such as red meat, increase the risk of colorectal and perhaps breast cancer and other forms of the

disease​ (World Cancer Research Fund, American Institute for Cancer Research, 1997)”​. There

are somethings that a person should avoid that not only prevent cancer but also other diseases.

Being able to be cured with cancer is the almost the same as facing the death and coming back

alive and more stronger.

Cancer is a type of disease that makes you value many things in life. Sometimes you lose

something that’s really important to you but in return you always get something that’s worth

losing that one thing. Living with cancer is not easy some people treat it like a war and some

treat it like a disease. “For me, cancer never felt like a war. Cancer wasn't something I "had," but

a process my body was going through. Brutal but effective medical treatment paused that

process, as far as I know today”​(Why cancer is not a war, fight or battle).​ Cancer is just like

other disease which when treated doesn’t make a person feel like a warrior but a survivor. ​As
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stated in “Why cancer is not a war, fight or battle”, ​“I am no warrior. I just showed up to my

medical appointments, did what I was told, and lived as best I could. Now, I try to avoid saying

things to other cancer patients that imply I expect a certain outcome for them, or that I expect

them to feel or behave in a particular way”. Always saying try to think positive to cancer patient

is not reasonable. Sometimes by commanding a person about how to feel can make a patient feel

bad even though you said it in a positive way. “Friends and family may become closer or more

distant. Sometimes your family or friends expect you to do things that you’re not able to

do”​(Slomski, Pg#76).​ The only thing a cancer patient sometimes really need is support from

family and friends. According to the book by Slomski, “Even though you might want to be super

independent, sometimes you’re going to need more help and support or just someone to listen.

Maintaining good communication with your family and friends during your cancer be good for

everyone.” A person can get really frustrated because of listening to others all the time, they just

feel like staying alone but having a support system and communicating with your family and

friends can really be helpful for a patient. A person who have lived through cancer experience

many new things. ​There are about 200 different types of cancer. The experience of living

through cancer is different for all the people. Feelings of someone who have cancer are always

changing. One day you’ll be happy to see the results that aren’t really that positive but the other

day you’ll be sad. Living a life with cancer is scary. It’s not just cancer that raises fear in your

mind but also the thought of what cancer will mean to those you love is terrifying. It’s not just

scary, it’s lonely too. No matter how strong your support system is, cancer is a journey that is

taken alone. Many people leave from your life when they get to know that you have cancer.

Sometimes people can’t see their dear ones suffer but sometimes they just can’t handle being
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around someone who have cancer. A person with cancer appreciates and value life more than any

other person. Living with cancer is not all negative, it can be fun and enjoyable too. It can make

you feel more loved and connected(Eldridge).​ After being treated with cancer a person might

feel like as if they starting a new life but this time they value everything that’s around them.

Cancer is difficult to define because it’s not just only one disease it have many other

types that exist. It can be caused by many different things but the most common ways to treat it

are chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Dealing with cancer can be overwhelming but

having good communication with your loved ones can help you through difficult times. Living

with cancer is not always going through problems but sometimes it can be fun and enjoyable too.

You experience many more new things and become more aware of the things surrounding you.
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Work cited

"Cancer." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2017. Opposing Viewpoints In

Context,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=nysl_me_73_shb&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CP

C3010999055&it=r&asid=3c6fb8dc75443996960041c6843e8790. Accessed 21 Nov.

2017.

"Causes of cancer." National Cancer Control Programmes: Policies and Managerial Guidelines,

2nd ed., World Health Organization, 2002, p. 9. Health Reference Center Academic,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=nysl_me_73_shb&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA

111729707&it=r&asid=fa74d82eb55362dca9c3d91f45c4b8cc. Accessed 25 Nov. 2017.

Lynne Eldridge, MD | Reviewed by Grant Hughes, MD. “What Is it Really Like to Live With

Cancer?” Verywell, www.verywell.com/what-is-it-really-like-to-have-cancer-2248830.

"Maintain healthy weight to curb risk of cancer (October 11 is World Obesity Day)." IANS, 11

Oct. 2017. Health Reference Center Academic,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=nysl_me_73_shb&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA

509031070&it=r&asid=ff46b2efa6897de5863ee07555a4a9c0. Accessed 21 Nov. 2017.

Slomski, Genevieve T. ​Living With Cancer. ​ABDO Publishing Company, PO Box 398166,

Minneapolis, MN 5439.

"Why cancer is not a war, fight, or battle." CNN Wire, 21 July 2017. Opposing Viewpoints in

Context,
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link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A498965875/OVIC?u=nysl_me_73_shb&xid=d676b00e.

Accessed 25 Nov. 2017.