Cancer Everywhere

[Phoebe]

Is it me or does cancer seem to be everywhere? My close friend's mother has cancer spots on her lung and spine. Another friend's sister-in-law whose husband died unexpectedly six years ago leaving her with two small children, now has cancer. I found both of these things out today.

I don't know if I am at the age where people start getting ill or if cancer is more prevalent these days. It is scary.

Jennifer

I've heard of more lately, too. Two of my friend's moms' were diagnosed with breast cancer w/in a week of each other, and another friend's mother was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer a month before that. It seems we've reached the age where friends parents are getting sick (at least). My mom died 9 years ago (ot cancer), but I was only 23 and didn't know anyone else who lost a parent.

[Sheherezade]

That's a lot of bad news. I'm so sorry.

DH seems to be getting more pediatric referrals now for gyn cancers. The cancers are very rare historically. I do find myself wondering if this is the start of a new trend. Then again, I wondered about Y2K, too. I know that 30s and 40s were the cancer years in terms of big killers historically. I think it breaks down something like this - Teen years:accidents and suicide. Twenties: schizophrenia/mental illness onset Mid-life: cancer/beginning heart disease Late life: everything.....

I am getting so sick of people getting sick from cancer.

I think more people are being diagnosed. I also think the effects of carcinogens that no one knew were a problem are being felt, either among those who were exposed or the children of the exposed.

Not to sound like a copspiracy theorist, but many chemicals were used after WWII with little or no regulation, either because no one knew it was a problem or didn't realise the magnitiude or were being too damn greedy.Petrochemical, nuclear and pharmaseutical products and by products out there that cause damage that didn't exist 70 years ago. We know whet some of them do, but not all of them.


i hate cancer.

Jennifer, I am so sorry to hear about your friends. My husband's cousin was diagnosed last month with cervical cancer and her prognosis is not good (she had warning signs for quite a while, but never did anything about it). She is only 31 and has three daughters.

I just read in a magazine, I think it was Prevention, that 1 in 4 people will be diagnosed with cancer. I think chemicals in the environment...formaldehyde in carpeting, arsenic in water, pesticides on vegetables...are partly to blame, but I believe that poor diet and lack of exercise are huge contributing factors as well.

[SueC]

It does seem to be on the rise, though I don't know if that is statistically true or if it is just that people are detecting it a lot sooner. There have been scads of people young and old that have undergone chemo and radiation in our neighborhood in the last few years. So far, everybody has made it, but everytime I hear about somebody new, it just gets more scary and depressing.

[Sheherezade]

I asked DH (gyn onc) this morning if he thought rates were on the rise and he said no. He said the national stats databases don't indicate a rise in the dozen or so states that report...but he did say there is some lag. He also mentioned that a lot more HIV people are getting cancer now that they aren't dieing from other infections. He's working with a group that's investigating that. I suppose that could influence rates nationally if it turns out to be an HIV "endpoint".

I have always been wary about the chemical overload we all experience. When we were in Baltimore, there were very high rates of bladder cancer and the unofficial talk was that it might be related to all the crabs and shellfish ingested in that region. In MA there were different cancers prevelant. Here (Ohio) he's seeing a whole different spectrum as well. When it is that regional, you've got to wonder if it's environmental.