Cancer Milestone

Action to take

Enjoy the good news that the incidence rates of cancer are declining
and five year survival rates have passed 50%.

Why

In the 1940’s, only one of four cancer patients survived five years.
In the 1960’s, survival was one in three. Now it has reached one in two.
Meanwhile, incidence rates have been dropped by .5% per year from
1991 to 2001.

Surgeries are often less radical and chemotherapy is often more targeted.
This brings a better quality of life for survivors. A few decades ago,
the public knew little about cancer beyond it being a “death sentence.”
In 1979, Norman Cousins’ book described how he used humor to
help overcome cancer, alerting people to the role of psychological
factors. Now there are thousands of support groups, hundreds of
books, and lots of media attention. A decade ago it would have
been hard to imagine millions of Today Show viewers watching
Katie Couric’s colonoscopy on live television. Inspired by her example,
the number of colonoscopy exams in the US increased 20% the following month.
A recent American Cancer Society report says that half of all cancers
are preventable. Cigarette smoking is the biggest cause of lung cancer, which
comprises about a third of cancers in America. Lung cancer has a very poor
survival rate. US smoking rates are declining and more businesses are now
smoke free. Smoking also contributes to several other types of cancer.
Other priority prevention measures include losing weight and testing for
breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostrate cancer.

Cancer research shows great promise. The future will soon have
genetic testing indicating what medications and treatments are
likely to be the most effective. For those who want alternative approaches
to treating cancer, the Moss Reports and the Life Extension Foundation
offer scientific perspectives on alternative medicine approaches
to cancer treatment.

Our nation’s two biggest causes of death are cardiovascular diseases
and cancer. For both, survival rates are showing substantial improvement.

Quotes

Show me a patient who is able to laugh and play, who enjoys living,
and I’ll show you someone who is going to live longer. Laughter makes
the unbearable bearable.
~Dr. Bernie Siegel

Humor

My apologies to not catching the source.
Interviews with cancer survivors included one
who described how his oncologist told him and
and his parents that he might want to smoke
marijuana to help with the nausea and pain from
the treatments. This was a dream come true–
a doctor telling his parents that he should smoke pot.

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Anti-Aging Psychologist Dr. Michael Brickey is keynote speaker and author of the Oprah-featured book, Defy Aging and 52 baby steps to Grow Young. The books and his Reverse Aging anti-aging hypnosis CDs comprise his anti-aging system.

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