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>A bigger concern to me is that people might interpret these findings as assigning fault to people who get cancer. You don’t want to get into situations where y
by roldie 10y ago
>A bigger concern to me is that people might interpret these findings as assigning fault to people who get cancer. You don’t want to get into situations where you feel as if people don’t deserve help because they didn’t try hard enough to stay healthy. Much of cancer is still out of people’s control.
Although only one paragraph, I'm glad the author addressed this.
All of these tips and lifestyle changes are great but this doesn't make those of us with loved ones with cancer feel any better. By all accounts she has done everything to qualify as "low risk," but still got cancer.
It's still an odds game. Better odds don't guarantee anything. It's unfair, frustrating, and infuriating.
- randomgyatwork 10y agoI agree, a woman who worked for my mom died of lung cancer, she never smoked once in her life.
- Declanomous 10y agoLung cancer is most closely associated with smoking, but lung cancer can be caused by many air contaminants. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, causing 21,000 deaths each year. About 2,900 of those people are non-smokers.[1] Cancer can be caused by things other than mutagens though. There is a certain rate of transcription errors when cells divide, and these errors can build up in the same way mutations from radiation, etc. build up. Things that kill cells and force them to divide speed up cell division, and can cause cancer that way. For instance, acid reflux and drinking can both cause esophageal cancer. You can also get cancer from just being extraordinarily unlucky. [1] https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon
- randomgyatwork 10y agoThanks for giving me something to worry about.... But seriously, I had no idea that was a thing, thanks for bring it up.
- sliverstorm 10y agoOn the bright side, I hear from medical friends that being otherwise really healthy is helpful because the doctors can hit you a lot harder with treatments like chemo and expect you to survive it.