According to this article in Wired magazine, early detection of cancer is more important than finding a cure.
Why? Because if you catch cancer early, your survival rate is 90 percent. Catch it late, it's 10 percent.
I thought we had caught my cancer early, but now I'm not so sure. I'm not even sure what "early" means. Because I wasn't showing any typical symptoms that would lead one to check for cancer (night sweats, rapid weight loss, no appetite, etc.), I thought I was just lucky that one of my infected lymph nodes happened to break a rib and forced me to go see a doctor.
Now, I'm being told that those symptoms don't always show up, especially in an otherwise healthy and relatively young person. A healthy body can compensate for those symptoms, thus hiding the problem. At least, that's the way I understand it.
I'm now being told that I've had cancer for roughly two years and only just caught it last October. Did I catch it early? Now I don't think so. Did I catch it early enough? I hope so. I'm planning to enjoy a long, cantankerous life.
If I didn't know I had cancer for two years, how do you know you don't have cancer? I'm not necessarily trying to drum up business for the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, but early detection means a higher chance of beating this thing.
My family tree has very little evidence of cancer. My paternal grandmother died of leukemia in 1951, and her cancer was detected late (she was thought to have anemia). Look at your family tree and see what evidence there might be of cancer in your family. Read the Wired article on the new ways of being developed to detect cancer early.
I can tell you from experience that fighting cancer is way harder than preventing it.
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Busting the myths of ovarian cancer with information
Busting the myths of ovarian cancer with information
What if there were a cancer that had practically no symptoms, no routine screenings and the few symptoms that might exist were dismissed by your doctor? And what if, when the cancer was finally diagnosed, it would probably be too late to save you?
And what if that cancer could have been found and cured if there'd been more awareness? Wouldn't you be downright mad? Sure you would. I was four years ago. But unfortunately, this still describes most women's experience with ovarian cancer today.
Hang on though, ovarian cancer only strikes women over 60, right? Especially those who don't have children? That's what I thought four years ago. But, while the average age of diagnosis is 63, some 30 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are under 55. I was diagnosed at 39, when my twins were 2 years old.
Columnist heroic
Columnist heroic
I want to thank you for running the column, "Busting the myths of ovarian cancer" (Mid-Columbia Voices, Sept. 18). As a recent chemo patient, it helped me more than you could ever know. It not only gave me resources, but it is also helping make more people aware. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August 2010, and like so many other women thought I had a urinary tract infection, only to find out I have stage three ovarian cancer. The word needs to get out! I thank you for printing Kay Kerbyson's story and hope to read more from her. Awareness is key to early detection. Thank you Kay for putting the symptoms out there and bringing more awaerness to our community. You are a true hero!
KARLA SCHLIEP, Kennewick
Faces of Cancer: Kennewick woman didn't know she had rare form of breast cancer
Faces of Cancer: Kennewick woman didn't know she had rare form of breast cancer
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and early detection often is cited as the most effective way to survive.
Yet in Mary Docken's case, early detection didn't help because the substitute teacher was struck with inflammatory breast cancer, a rare form of the disease.
Inflammatory breast cancer accounts for fewer than 5 percent of breast cancer cases in the United States, according to experts.
Fast Focus: A message for men
Fast Focus: A message for men
The person I loved didn't get to battle his cancer. My dad, Thomas Pitts, lost his life to it on April 18, 2011. He never drank or smoked, never took drugs (wouldn't even take aspirin), he ate well, and exercised right up until he got sick. He died three days short of turning 71, he was never sick the entire time I was growing up and lived at home. He began having back pain and lost some weight, (which we thought was due to his teeth being really bad, making it difficult for him to eat certain things), we then thought he had a severe kidney infection, three hours after arriving at the emergency room we were told my dad was full of cancer. It was in his lungs, spine, skull, liver, kidneys, etc. He lasted two months and two days from the date of diagnosis. I wish he'd had more time and "a battle," so we'd maybe have had him longer. But I am also glad that he didn't suffer long.
I want the men reading this to please go and get your regular checkups! My dad's oncologist told him "this is why we tell men to come
Faces of Cancer: Kennewick couple faced cancer together
Faces of Cancer: Kennewick couple faced cancer together
KENNEWICK — After spending more than five years battling two kinds of cancer between them, one Kennewick couple not only is happy to be on the other side but also views life quite differently.
Matt Long, 50, was diagnosed in 2004 with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and went through about 30 chemotherapy treatments during more than three years. Just months after he was declared free of the cancer, his wife, Debbie, was diagnosed with colon cancer -- and was just a matter of weeks from being terminal.
"It was a journey," said Debbie, 50. "You can choose to make it a positive journey or sit back and say, 'Pity on me.' We didn't have time for that. We have kids and grandkids."
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