World

War III: The fight against cancer

The University of Missouri-Columbia held its fifteenth annual Relay For Life on
Saturday, March 16 from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the campuss recreational facility. Sixty-
three teams and 789 people participated. These participants and team members
walked throughout the night, wearing bright green shirts emblazoned with the
words Kiss Me, I Relay, to match the St. Patricks Day theme. Booths selling
everything from delicious treats to phone-charging time (ten minutes worth of
charging time went for $1) were placed around the track, with all proceeds going
towards cancer research. The event raised a total of $76,794.34 for the American
Cancer Society.

The American Cancer Society created Relay For Life to celebrate cancer survivors,
remember those who have lost their battle with cancer and to fight back against the
disease. According to ACS, Relay is conducted not just to raise funds, but also to
involve more communities, develop a local presence for itself, and provide a means
of unifying societies together in achieving the same goal eradicating cancer.
The overnight fundraiser, now in its twenty-seventh year, is well on its way. It has
now grown to be a worldwide phenomenon, taking place in 18 countries outside of
the United States.

Still, many people today do not know all that Relay does, if they know anything
about it at all besides the fact that it has something to do with cancer. Many people
also do not believe that they have a chance of developing the disease, or that it will
ever affect their lives. This is particularly true for us college kids; after all, were
young, in shape and having the time of our lives. Unfortunately, this is an erroneous
way of thinking.

ACS research shows that more than one million people in the United States will be
diagnosed with cancer each year. This means that for every three people, one will
develop the disease. That is truly a scary statistic. It is evident that cancer does not
discriminate; age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class none of those
factors matter. ACS research also shows that an estimated 580,350 Americans in
2013 will die due to the disease and its complications, which equates to 1,600 lives
lost per day. This makes cancer the second most common cause of death in the U.S.

For this reason, the growing popularity and continued support of Relay and other
cancer focus groups is extremely important. As these organizations expand, so does
the amount of funding and education provided to advance technologies in screening
and treatment. This largely increases the likelihood that the prevention and cure for
cancer will be discovered.

Still skeptical? Take my own personal story. In August 2008, my father was
diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Before this point, he had always been healthy. He
never caught colds or whatever bug was going around at the time, never had
allergies; he didnt ever seem to be affected by much of anything. Its obvious that it
took me and my entire family by surprise. However, it wasnt the first time cancer
had touched our family. Two of my great uncles had already succumbed to the
disease, and a cousin of my father was amid a vicious battle with it at the time.
Fortunately, my fathers tumor was effectively removed after months of
chemotherapy, radiation and surgery; a rarity, however, considering he was
diagnosed as Stage Four.

During the time of my fathers battle, the five-year survival rate for all cancers was
at 68 percent (ACS). This was an increase from the 49 percent prior to 2002. This
improvement reflects the progress made in diagnosing certain cancers at earlier
stages because of advancement in technology. The rate of colorectal cancer in those
over the age of 50, which is when doctors recommend that preventive screenings
begin, was also lowered by 4.1 percent (ACS).

While my fathers story had a relatively happy ending (the side effects of cancer
treatment will never completely go away), not everyone is so fortunate. His
aforementioned cousin lost his battle to the disease, just as too many other men and
women do each day. That is why as a society we must take cancer seriously and do
our part to continue fighting for its obliteration. Its not okay to settle for 68 percent.
The other 32 percent are lives, as well, and matter just as much. What if one of those
percentages was your mother? Your father? Your sibling? Your best friend?

To find out you can join the fight or become educated on various types of cancer and
prevention screenings, visit www.cancer.org or www.cancer.gov.