The very word send shivers down my spine.
Did you know that 100 years ago, 1 in 33 people had cancer?
Today, it is more than 1 in 3.
What does this mean? It means that if there are 3 people in a room, the chances of 1 person in that room getting cancer in his or her lifetime is pretty high.
Did you know that every 45 seconds, someone in the world dies from cancer or its treatment?
Twenty years ago, 1 out of 25 women had breast cancer. Today, it is 1 out of 8.
Since 1955, prostate cancer has risen more than 600%.
In the last 20 years, the war on cancer has spent over one Trillion dollars. And lost.
My own brother-in-law died of liver cancer last year. When he was diagnosed, he was already at Stage 4 - the last stage, where hopes of surviving are almost zero.
Two years back, a friend of mine died from lung cancer. She initially had an operation which cut off part of her lungs. It did not help. The cancer spread to her neck, then to her brain. By the time she died, she already lost her eyesight due to the ravages of the dreaded disease.
It's scary. There is no cure. No one is immune.
But why? Why do people get cancer? Why do more and more people get cancer nowadays compared to 20 or 50 years ago? Something must be wrong somewhere. Some things must have changed.
I am going to get to the bottom of what causes cancer in my future posts, and how we can prevent it from occuring. If medical sciences have no answer to cancer, the least we could do is to try to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Meantime, let us all just stand up to cancer. Let us help those who are suffering from it.
Watch this performance by Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Nicole Scherzinger, Natasha Bedingfield, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, Keyshia Cole, Ashanti and Ciara.
Or for a more clearer video, go here.
Visit Stand Up To Cancer website for details.
After the death of my brother-in-law and my friend, I have always been touched by the sufferings of cancer patients. I have since then made a commitment to at least help ease their financial burden by donating to MAKNA (National Cancer Council) on a monthly basis.
If you like to donate or join the Direct Debit Donor Program, please log on to MAKNA website for more details. Your donation will be very helpful to those in need. Furthermore, it's tax exempted. So let's help these cancer victims and may God bless you.
It's true that we should all do our part in helping these people who are in need.
two things i can think of is severe pollution and the excessive usage of chemical composition in our food.
Foong, that is so sweet, so thoughtful of you - garnering financial support for MAKNA.
The food we eat certainly has a bearing. Not sure if you have read it but there's one survey article that urges strictly avoiding milk as milk nurtures cancer cells. If one is stricken by cancern, any foodstuff that contains milk should be avoided - milk itself, chocolates, cheese, yoghurt to name a few.
*stands up* Yes, cancer frightens the hell out of me too.
My father-in-law has had three bouts of cancer. Thank God he has beaten it each time. Due to his family history, my husband asked his doctor for a colonoscopy even though he is still in his 40's. We all need to be more aware of our bodies. If something does not feel right, go have it checked by the doctor. It is better to be safe than sorry.
You know, they can send a man to space but they still can;t find a cure for cancer ... sad isn't it?
that's a good movement to bring awareness to cancer and finding cures!
Man proposes, God disposes. It's all in God's hands.
foongpc,
i'm sorry to hear the loss of your loved ones. I love what you are doing. It is an inspiration for all people battling with cancer. it appears that good nutrition and exercise regularly play a major role in our lives too.
Cancer is nightmare for us. I saw few of my relatives left us because of cancer.
This means I got the generic of cancer also...
eiling, yes they do need our help.
ulquiorra, I agree pollution and chemicals in food are partly to be blamed for causing cancer.
happysurfer, thanks. Just hoping that more people would donate to MAKNA. Yes, I've heard about milk promoting growth of cancer cells. I guess we should limit drinking of milk and eating milk products, however taking in moderation should be OK.
gallivanter, it's scary alrite.
babette, you are so right. Better to be safe than sorry. Early detection always helps, but even more important is preventive measures.
nick phillips, yes it's incredible man can travel to outerspace yet still not find cure for cancer. Maybe they should concentrate on preventive measures instead of finding a cure.
I just lost a friend from cancer. Very dreadful illness! She just survived for 3 months after dianosed with cancer. Early detection is vital
monica, thanks! : )
suituapui, perhaps it is. But I want to think it's also in our hands.
life ramblings, thanks. Yes I agree good nutrition and exercise are both very important in preventing cancer.
keeyit, since it runs in your family, you have to be extra careful. Have regular check ups and always eat healthy and make sure you get regular exercise and sufficient sleep.
pete, sorry to hear about that. Yes, early detection is very important but even more important is preventive measures.
I am shocked at the rates of cancer. It is so scary! I just try to eat my fruits and veggies and no meat and hope that I protect myself that way.
my dad n mum traveled down that road. guess i probably will too :(
health nut wanabee mom, it is shocking to me too. I think eating lots of fruits and veggies do help as one of the causes of cancer is lack of proper nutrition. Eating less meat also help as nowadays, meat is full of toxins and drugs. You are definitely doing the right thing! : )
bengbeng, in that case, you have a high risk of getting cancer. However, you can still prevent it by taking care of your health right now. Eat more fruits and vegetables (organic ones preferably), exercise, get enough rest and avoid prolong stress. And make sure you have medical check up every year and always be aware of your body.
A few years back, I also wanted to donate to MAKNA. But they insisted that we donate through credit card on monthly basis. In the end I didn't make the commitment.
One big question: How much of the money we donate actually goes to the cancer victims? (And how much more goes to the fund raisers?)
I remember National Kidney Foundation also raised fund through professional fund raisers, and only 10% of our donation went to the needy patients. (Read my post here.)
khengsiong, yes I've heard of that. I'm not sure if it's the same for MAKNA. I know fundraisers need the money to promote the fund, but if only 10% are given to patients, then it is not acceptable. How do I find out if MAKNA also practises the same?
lots of friends' parents died bcuz of cancer. the most tragic, a friend who is younger than me passed away due to it too
Yes, cancer is a horrible thing.
Oh Foong! I see some of my fave names here...Mariah, Leona, Ashantie and Carrie! :)
My uncle passed away from cancer last year, thanks for spreading the word on this.
johnny ong, yes it's tragic and sad. Cancer doesn't care whether you are young or old, rich or poor.
toni, it certainly is.
mariuca, yeah, most of the singers I like too! : )
Sorry about your uncle, it seems everyone I know knows someone close who has cancer. I guess the statistics about 1 in 3 people will get cancer is pretty accurate.
i watched how to do self check up for prostate cancer on youtube. i'm so worry about cancer as it attacks anyone just in a blink. i posted something about lemongrass which could help kill cancer cell here.
If I am not mistaken, those who have high acidic level in blood are more prone to get cancer. Eat less red meat, more vege and do more exercises will help to reduce the percentage of getting cancer.
faisal admar, thanks. Will go to your blog and read about the lemongrass : )
jam, yes you are right. High acidic level in blood is a good environment for cancer cells to thrive. Eating vegetables and fruits will lower the acidity in blood. Red meat contributes to the acidity in blood so less is better. And exercise is always good. Thanks for your comment.
Cancer is a very scary disease. Its better we prevent it. Veg4planet.blogspot.com had just mention John Hopkins statements about cancer.
Maybe this will help you an alternative way to address cancer.
stella, thanks! Will visit your blog : )