The world cancer day was celebrated two days ago (4th of February) and as we rallied around the community to educate people about cancer, I sulked all through because educating them flooded a lot of memory. I couldn’t help but remember someone I lost to cancer some years ago.
Hers was a case of late diagnosis and a bit of stubbornness. She died of breast cancer but then, she saw the signs but decided to ignore them. When the pain (which started with her left breast by the way) started, she dismissed it as nothing; but when it persisted, or rather got worse, rather than go to the hospital, to ascertain the cause of the pain, she started anointing her left breast with olive oil.
This continued for a long time till the pain got unbearable, she was then left with no other option than to see a doctor. She did and was diagnosed with malignant tumors on the left breast with a caveat that the earlier she removed the left breast, the better for her so that the right breast wouldn’t get infected. She bluntly refused; she doesn’t want to cut one of her breasts out. The right breast later got infected and she took the two breasts to the grave. *sighs*
Why do people play with their health though? It’s crazy that a normal human being would notice something abnormal in his/her body and just wave it off as nothing or start drinking olive oil, nobody is saying that believing in God and trusting that he can heal you is not cool, but people need to understand that God can still heal you through the medical professionals.
Let’s analyze cancer! What exactly is cancer? Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread to other parts of the body.
Different types of cancer include:
Anal cancer
Bile duct cancer
Bladder cancer
Bone cancer
Brain cancer
Carcinoid cancer
Cervical cancer
Esophageal cancer
Eye cancer
Fallopian tube cancer
Gallbladder cancer
Head and neck cancer
Kidney cancer
Leukemia (cancer of the blood)
Liver cancer
Lung cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Penile cancer
Prostate cancer
Rectal cancer
Sarcoma (cancer of the lymph nodes)
Skin cancer
Stomach cancer
Testicular cancer
Thyroid cancer
Uterine cancer etc.
Ways to prevent cancer:
- Avoid the use of tobacco as smoking has been linked to various types of cancer like lung cancer, throat cancer, kidney cancer, mouth cancer. Smoking is not always buying cigarette and smoking, no! Exposing yourself to second-hand smoke is actually worse and can increase your risk of lung cancer.
- Make your diet healthy. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables; avoid processed food as much as you can.
- Incorporate exercise into your daily routine
- Protect yourself from the sun; even if you must be exposed to the sun, cover your body up as much as you can
- Get regular medical care. You must not wait till you get sick before visiting the hospital, sometimes, just go and run tests to be sure your body is in a good state. As far as cancer is concerned, early detection goes a long way.
Can cancer be treated? Yes! And the treatment option depends on the type of cancer and its severity. Cancer can be treated using any of these methods:
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Stem cell transplant
- Hormone therapy
- Precision medicine
Stay safe people!! Health is wealth!!
