Last week, at my doctor visit to refill my Rx for Insulin, (just to see what he would say), I asked the doctor about the rise in cancer rates with young people. As I expected, he threw in a self-flattering comment: "Yes, more and more young people are getting cancer, but.....uh....we're....treating it much better & they're living longer." I thought about asking him about the timing of the Covid vaccines, but I decided to show him some mercy. .
You chose to be easy on him, and I tend to call t hem on their profession too much, I've got to watch that ...
Pancreatitis 1984 put me in a coma for 12 days and Jake was told to call in our preacher for last rights. It was from a gallstone blockage in bile duct that caused it. Dr said my pancreas looked like it had sat in a bowl of acid. Which technically it did.
Thank you, Jenna, and me too. It was one of the most painful years of my life, glad to see the gallbladder go.
My "argument" applies to several types of cancer. (I know people aren't screen for pancreatic cancer). The point is early detection is a myth used to encourage frequent screenings. My ex wife's first husband was diagnosed with Leukemia. His doctor said, "You're lucky you came to me early, when we can cure it." He endured treatment that made him sick for 5 months & he died at 31.
Doctors should know better than to use the term "cured" for cancer. There is no cure for cancer. A person can be in remission with "no evidence of active disease," but that's about the best you can hope for. I'd just like to reiterate that no one knows what causes cancer and each cancer is unique. Early screening does have value in some cases but not always. Until you have had cancer yourself, you really are clueless about what it all entails. Some treatments will beat back cancer but not always. Everyone wants to "blah, blah... my uncle had blah, blah and he said, blah." Who cares? Until it's YOU, you remain clueless. As for the King and Princess Kate, I'm sure they both are receiving world-class care and I hope they can do well in treatment. It is harsh and extremely difficult, no matter who you are or how much money you have. It sucks and your life will not be the same, ever.
Yes, I've heard some people talk about wealthy celebrities & how they can afford the best cancer treatment....etc. But if their disease is aggressive, they don't do any better or live any longer than anyone else. We see that with Patrick Swayze, Michael Landon, Alex Trebek, Farrah Fawcett..
Yeh, those stories that all the money of the rich & famous being ineffective against cancer are frightening. Sometimes there is no hope. But I believe the lessons are that much of it is behavioural (I believe that Swayze & Landon drank heavily, and Farrah's cancer was related to sex stuff most of the rest of us would never engage in.)