I was noticing “Intercept Cancer” on some of the coaches’ shirts during Sunday NFL football. October’s cancer awareness initiative is growing each year. Cancer.gov statistics cite that “approximately 39.5% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes (based on 2015-2017 data). Present data gathering suggests even a higher percentage of developing cancer in the lifetime. Why is that?
For one thing, cancer seems to become more prevalent with aging, and our advances in medicine and diagnostics are allowing more of us to live longer. However, the rate of incidence in those under the age of 50 is also increasing, Lifestyle and environmental factors are increasingly identified as contributors to the DNA or genetic changes that are at the bottom of what we call “cancer.”
Whether in football or in health, a quarterback with vision of the entire field is the game changer. Our own awareness of any body changes or functions is the beginning of how we intercept cancer and stop it in its tracks and keep it from finding its mark. Financially supporting cancer research with donation or participating in fundraisers helps. Lobbying our government to support research and treatment helps scientists finally find a way to intercept this disease.
The battlefield of cancer is not only in the body. The battle with cancer is also in the mind. This is the most dangerous part of cancer, the part that threatens our spirit and love for life and invades it with fear. “It takes a village” is very applicable to this part of the cancer battle. Before my cancer, I really never understood the power of a card or a note, sometimes from someone I really didn’t know that well. The power of letting another person know that they are not alone is a most effective interception. An organization like KU’s “Turning Point” is a group that creates a community dedicated to supporting both the diagnosed and their families and friends in the “interception.”
We are closing in on cancer, one interception at a time.