I am a normal human being and mostly an optimist. However; the events of two years have shook my whole personality and I am desperately looking for some answers. My younger brother was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer about two years ago and it is difficult to watch him going down the hill. It has changed my outlook about life.
Cancer in most cases is terminal because often it is detected very late. Despite better diagnostic techniques and new improved drugs the statistics of cure for the last twenty five years are not very impressive. New types of cancers are showing up and there is no cure for cancer in most cases. It is difficult to say that we are winning the war on cancer
Treatment options are limited. Mostly doctors rely on chemotherapy and radiation. In some cases surgery may be an option with follow up chemo and radiation. Although chemotherapy is designed to treat cancer cells, unfortunately, it often affects parts of body not directly affected by the cancer itself. This is an undesired result and is referred to as a complication of treatment, or aside effect. .
Side effects may be acute (short-term), chronic (long-term), or permanent. Side effects may cause inconvenience, discomfort, serious illness and even death. Additionally, certain side effects may prevent doctors from delivering the prescribed dose of chemotherapy at the specific time and schedule of the treatment plan.
Side effects from chemotherapy can include pain,diarrhea,constipation, mouth sores, hair loss,nausea and vomiting, and blood-relatedside effects. There arediagnosing and monitoring blood-relatedside effects. These may include lowinfection-fightingwhite blood cells count (neutropenia), lowred blood cells count (anemia), and lowplatelets count. The misery of chemo or radiation takes toll on patients but they reluctantly accept the treatment because of limited treatment options. The treatment treats symptoms not the cause (s).
There are many complementary and alternative treatments out there but it is difficult for patients to make decision because they don’t have a reliable way to validate the authenticity of the treatment. Some critics say that drug companies are suppressing the treatment to increase their profitability. Some of the reports about FDA, ACS, and NCI
colluding with drug companies are very scary and worrisome if they are true.
Why can’t we find a cure? Why don’t we find the cause (s) why don’t we target prevention? Why can’t we do research on alternative and complimentary treatments? Why do we have to put the patients through the misery of chemo or radiation? I would urge my fellow friends to help me understand? What, we as families and friends of patients can do to effectively contribute in research and development of some treatments that will cure cancer without the misery of Chemo and Radiation. How can we create an awareness in general public.
I do believe that we have enough scientific knowledge and resources to come with an answer. We landed on moon and mars and can’t find a cure for cancer should not beacceptable. There has to be a way to find a cure today and not tomorrow.