1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime.
What is Cancer?
Cancer is a disease of the body's cells. A healthy cell will grow and multiply in a way that is controlled according to it's genetic blueprint but some cells can change and that control can be lost. The word cancer is given to a collection of these cells.
A Personal Story by Christie Birch
Just about everyone I know has been affected by cancer in some way. In my own experience our family has been affected more than once.
My Mother was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma when she was just 26 years old. She had 3 kids under the age of 8, had never smoked and lived a pretty healthy lifestyle. She spent nearly 12 months travelling to and from Sydney for treatment as there were no facilities here in Newcastle. She was in fourth stage which meant very little to me as a kid, I just knew that the doctor's were going to make her better because that is what doctors do. In reality my Mum was very ill, the cancer had spread and the odds for long term survival were not good. Fortunately the doctor's worked their miracles and Mum put up the fight for her life and in her words there was some divine intervention. 26 years later she is still cancer free and has seen the marriage of her kids and the births of her grand kids.
Shortly after Mum's recovery my Grandfather was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Doctor's said that the cancer had gone to far and that there was nothing they could do. They gave him 12 months to live but only 3 weeks after his diagnosis at the age of 61 he died. He was one of three brothers who all died before the age of 62 of cancer.
During my highschool years my best friend's brother was diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 15. Due to the embaressing nature of his symptoms he never sought treatment until the size of the tumour became physically obvious. By the time he saw a doctor the cancer had spread to his lungs, his stomach and his kidneys. He was given only a 5% chance of surviving beyond 5 years. He started aggresive treatment and everyone started praying for a miracle. He went into remission and is now aged 34 but still lives with the constant fear that the cancer could return at any time.
Next my family suffered the loss of my Uncle and my other Grandfather both succumbing to prostate cancer. Shortly after this my father inlaw was diagnosed with prostate cancer also. He decided to not take any chances, they had detected it early and he opted to have his prostate removed. There was no evidence of cancer anywhere else in his body and so is living proof that early detection works.
Yesterday my Husband and I received a phone call from his Mother. She had a skin cancer removed from her nose a few months ago and had a follow up biopsy done last week. The news is not good, they didn't get all of the cancer and she now faces the possibility that the cancer has gone too far. So we go back to our prayers that have helped in the past and pray that the news will be good.
I could go on and on with the names of friends who have been affected and those who we have lost and I am sure that as many of you read this you will take a moment to remember and honour those whom you know have been affected by cancer.
THERE IS GOOD NEWS......in Australia today 60% of all cancer diagnosis will be effectively treated.
1. Live a healthy lifestyle - prevention is better than a cure so don't smoke, avoid too much alcohol, eat a healthy diet, get some exercise and cover up when you are out in the sun.
2. Check yourself - be aware of any changes in your body and get to the doctor's as soon as possible if you notice anything unusual. Early detection is paramount to your survival rate.
3. Support research - medical research costs millions of dollars every year. There are a number of great organisations that raise money for this purpose. Please support by giving what you can, you never know it just might be you or your loved ones that will be saved by a break through!
AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST MORNING TEA
May 7th 2010 from 9.30am
Lifestyle House Boardroom - 671 Hunter Street Newcastle
RSVP by May 5th 2010
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