Cancer What Hope for a Permanent Cure?.........~kari~

**This is a very long post, but It is worth taking time and reading it.**

Cancer What Hope for a Permanent Cure?

OF ALL the diseases that afflict mankind, cancer is one of the most dreaded. And for good reason. It takes a staggering toll in bodily injury, heartache and death. Especially has this been the case in our twentieth century. Because of the nature of the disease, the person who finds out he has some form of it usually undergoes severe emotional stress. So do his loved ones. To some, having cancer is regarded as an automatic death sentence. But is this really so? No; for while the cancer toll is tragically high, and growing in total numbers, the proportion of individuals being successfully treated has also grown. Yet, while there has been improvement in treating cancer, is there any real hope of permanently conquering it soon? Many medical authorities feel that the unprecedented attack now under way against cancer will someday produce a cure. The Canadian Cancer Society reports: The research attack on cancer is the greatest and costliest single undertaking in medical history. The problem is so broad and so profound that virtually every branch of modern science is engaged in cancer research. But with all this effort, from the medical standpoint a total cure for all types of cancer is not now in view. There have been no scientific breakthroughs that can give this hope. Yet, in spite of this, we can say that for a certainty this dreaded disease will be totally erased from the human family. Before considering how that will come about, let us take a closer look at the problem. How widespread is cancer? Just what is it? What causes the disease? How is it being treated now?

A Fearful Toll

While cancer can be found in nearly every type of society, it is especially prevalent in the advanced industrial nations. For instance, in the United States, Medical World News estimated that in 1973 there were about 665,000 new cases of cancer. That does not include superficial skin cancer. It also estimated that during 1973 about 350,000 persons died from cancer. And statistics suggest that, at the present rate, one out of every four Americans will eventually get some type of malignant disease. Except for diseases of the heart, cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States. For men, the type of cancer that results in the most fatalities is lung cancer. It has become epidemic in recent years. One report shows that the death rate from this form of cancer has gone up 1,400 percent in the past forty years. For women, the highest mortality rate comes from breast cancer. And among both males and females, the second-highest cancer death toll is from cancers of the colon and rectum. At one time, the survival rate for cancer was pitifully low. The National Advisory Cancer Council in the United States says that in 1938 only one out of five who had cancer survived that is, had a chance of being alive five years after diagnosis. But by 1969 the survival rate had gone up to one out of three. In 1973, one report showed that 47 percent of those who had cancer survived.

What Is Cancer?

Cancer is not a single disease. It is actually more than one hundred distinct illnesses. Since body cells differ, the type of cancer depends on the type of cell in which it originates. However, what all cancers have in common is the abnormal growth of cells. This is referred to as malignancy, that is, the tendency to become progressively worse and to result possibly in death. One broad category of cancers is called carcinoma. These are the most common. They originate in the cells of covering or lining tissues like skin and the mucous membranes of organs such as the lungs, stomach, and in the gastrointestinal tract and mouth. Sarcoma is another broad category, highly malignant but not as common. These originate in connective tissue such as cartilage, muscle and bone. A number of other types, such as leukemia, do not fit into either of these general categories, Normally, cells in the body die off, but others divide in two and replace those that are lost. But with cancerous cells the regulating of cell divisions breaks down. Thus some cells become cancerous. At first there may be only a few of them amid millions of normal ones. But once the cancer starts, these cells begin to grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way. They divide much faster than they should, in time forming a mass or tumor. As the cancer cells multiply, they tend to push normal cells aside, at times denying them the nourishment they need. Some cancers tend to outgrow their own blood supply, and so parts of the tumor may degenerate from lack of nourishment and become foul sores though still malignant and growing. In the end, the cancer destroys whatever stands in its way. When cancerous tumors invade vital organs, the function of these organs becomes impaired. Death is often hastened by the malfunction of that organ. One of the main characteristics of cancer cells is their ability to metastasize, that is, to break off from the original tumor and travel to other parts of the body. This may be done through the arteries and veins in the bloodstream, or through the lymph canals, those passageways through which the watery fluid, lymph, flows. The traveling cancer cells then settle in other parts of the body and begin growing additional, or secondary, tumors that are called metastases. However, not all tumors are cancerous or malignant. Some are benign, or noncancerous. While these are also overgrowths, they remain localized and usually encapsulated. They are only dangerous if they keep growing and obstruct vital organs or functions by virtue of size or location. For instance, a relatively small benign tumor in the brain could cause death by pressure on the brain, since the rigid skull does not permit expansion. Yet a much larger benign tumor elsewhere may not be fatal when there is more room for it to expand.

Any Warning Signals?

Does cancer give any warning signals that it is beginning? At its very earliest stage, it gives no clear, specific warning. It may be located where it cannot be seen or felt. Also, in the early stages of cancer it is usually painless. Ordinarily, it is when cancer has progressed to a dangerous stage that it may become painful. This happens when the tumor presses on some sensitive area or when a vital internal pathway such as the intestines or urinary system is obstructed. While the early stages are difficult, if not impossible, to detect, there are things for which a person can look. These may suggest that a precancerous or actual cancerous condition exists. The American Cancer Society lists seven warning signals. Of course, other illnesses can be responsible for these conditions. And those may not have anything to do with cancer. But since these conditions may be warning signals of cancer, they merit immediate attention. And the earlier cancer is treated, the more successful that treatment is likely to be. Does any particular age-group seem to be more affected by cancer? While it appears in both young and old, it definitely takes a far greater toll of the more advanced age-groups, although a few types tend to strike the very young more often. So it can be said that, in general, cancer is principally a disease of older age.

What Causes Cancer?

Why do cells begin to grow out of control? And why do some people get cancer when others whose circumstances are the same do not? Apparently some persons are more susceptible to cancer than others. When a certain factor, or combination of factors, develops, those who are more susceptible can get the cancer. Of course, there are degrees of susceptibility. For instance, in the case of cigarette smoking. If nobody smoked, nobody would get lung cancer from smoking. But among heavy smokers, the risk of getting lung cancer is ten to twenty times as high as among nonsmokers. This is not to say that everyone is affected the same by smoking. Even among heavy smokers there are those who do not get lung cancer. Their resistance to it is evidently greater. Thus it can be seen that there are a number of variable factors that can increase the likelihood of some people getting cancer. Over the years, some of the factors singled out that cause or increase the possibility of getting the disease, are: cigarette smoke, radiant energy from sunlight and X rays, certain chemicals or combinations of them, various inherited and congenital abnormalities, chronic tissue irritation, hormonal imbalance and perhaps even emotional factors. In recent years viruses have been found to cause cancer in animals, but their part in human cancer has not been definitely determined. However, in order for cancer to occur where any such cause is present, there has to be a basic failure of the bodys immunological system. That means that the bodys defenses against the disease are in some way broken down. As Dr. Robert Alan Good of the Sloan-Kettering cancer center in New York says: Weve never found a cancer patient in whom something wasnt abnormal immunologically. Industrial Societies Perhaps the most significant cause for cancer is the industrial way of life. While cancer is found in practically all societies, it is more heavily concentrated in the industrial nations. It is not as pronounced in rural societies. With industrialization has come a host of abnormal conditions. There is pollution with its wide range of chemical irritants going into the air we breathe, into the water we drink and the food we eat. It has been reported that lung cancer is twice as common among city dwellers as among those who live in the country. The Atlanta Journal says: The National Research Council . . . concluded that city air is 15 times more polluted than country air. And, as the report said, lung cancer is most common in those city areas where general industrial pollution is worse. In addition, the industrial way of life brings about unusual pressures, a faster pace, more congestion. In short, it results in a more severe demand on the body and mind. All of this plays its part in tearing down the bodys immunity system. The New York Times reports: Estimates are that 75 to 85 per cent of all cancers are directly or indirectly caused by factors in the environment most of them potentially avoidable. And Dr. Frank J. Rauscher, Jr., of the National Cancer Institute also says: Eighty to eighty-five per cent of our cancers are extrinsic in nature that is, they originate from sources outside the human body. In other words, cancer develops because of something a person does, because of the way he lives, or because of something hes exposed to. As an example of external causes is the lung cancer developed because of smoking cigarettes. About 90 percent of those who get this cancer would not get it if they did not smoke. Another example of an external cause is asbestos. For some time it has been noted that asbestos workers were more prone to lung cancer and an otherwise rare chest tumor called mesothelioma. The disease develops after years of exposure to asbestos fibers. Is the industrial way of life related to breast cancer in women? In a way, yes. Women in industrial societies tend to have fewer children or no children, compared to women in agricultural societies. Also, with the abundance of and baby foods available in industrial societies, many women living there choose not to nurse their children. It has been found that breast cancer is most frequent in women who have not borne children, or in mothers who have not nursed their babies. And it most often strikes after a woman has passed the menopause. Also of interest is the following observation by Dr. Rauscher. He says: Having sexual relations at an early age may increase the risk of breast cancer, and definitely makes cervical cancer more likely. If a woman has multiple partners, her risk of cervical cancer is much higher than among women who do not have multiple partners and who did not engage in sexual relations at an early age. . . . a high risk and incidence occurs among prostitutes. Overexposure to sunlight is thought to be a cause in skin cancers, especially among lighter-skinned peoples. Medical authorities warn against the habit some lighter-skinned people have of lying in the sun for hours trying to get a tan. Hence, while no single cause has been isolated as the culprit for cancer, many factors are known to come into play. And it does appear that the industrial way of life hastens the breakdown of the bodys resistance to cancer.

How Cancer Is Treated

In the treatment of solid tumors, surgery continues to dominate. Most doctors feel that it is best to get the tumor out of the body, and the sooner it can be diagnosed and removed, the greater the likelihood of stopping the cancer and preventing metastasis. Recently, there has been disagreement among doctors as to how extensive such surgery should be in some types of tumors. This confronts the patient with a problem: which authoritys advice to follow. Of course, some people condemn surgery altogether. Yet there are those who have had surgery for cancer and who have found that the cancer did not recur. It is apparent, then, that for some persons this type of treatment is successful. Another method in cancer treatment is radiation. In certain types of cancer it is preferred over surgery; in others, it is used in conjunction with surgery. In this method, it is hoped that powerful beams of radiation will kill the cancer cells. Since cancer cells are abnormal, usually the amount of radiation needed to kill them is less than that needed to kill normal cells. But since radiation can adversely affect healthy cells while killing cancer cells, the radiation therapist has to be expert in its use. Lately chemotherapy has come into wider use. This is the application of drugs in the fight against cancer. At one time it was hoped that drugs would be the break through against cancer. But that hope has not been realized. Of the tens of thousands of drugs tested, very few have been found to have any effect against cancer. Too, a problem with drugs is that, while a few may have beneficial results, they can also have harmful side effects. Immunotherapy is a recent field of study. Here scientists hope to harness the bodys immunity system to help it fight cancer. If an agent can be isolated that would help, it is hoped that a vaccine can be developed from it. As of now, however, there has been only some limited success in treating cancers of the skin with this method.

Other Treatments

While the above-mentioned methods of treatment are the common ones, there have been, and are, others. A few have risen to some prominence in times past, only to disappear as their effectiveness was not proved. To be condemned, however, are the curespromoted by unscrupulous persons whose only interest is to make money from cancer patients. Usually these are quickly exposed by authorities and action is taken against them. Any claim of a sure cure for cancer today must be suspect. There is no such cure at present. Cancer specialist Dr. Salvador E. Luria, a Nobel prize winner, stated: Any vision of a crash program promising a cancer cure in three or five or ten years would be a self-delusion and a dangerous misleading of the public. Among the unorthodox treatments now in use, and one of the most controversial, is a substance called Laetrile, made from apricot pits. Its use as a cancer treatment is forbidden in the United States. But it is permitted in Mexico. Its proponents sincerely believe that it can successfully fight cancer. Its opposers are equally sincere in condemning it. One of its best-known users, Dr. Ernesto Contreras of Mexico, maintains that it is not a cure but a control, and compares it to the use of insulin for diabetes. However, he states: Primary malignant tumors of the bone, muscle, joint, etc., primary brain tumors, and acute leukemias generally do not respond well to the Laetrile therapy. In advanced cancer cases, he says, the palliative action is in about 60% of the cases, and that it produces a striking analgesic effect and well-being sensation. In a small percentage of these cases, some 15 percent, he claims, there is an arrest of the disease or even regression. The above claims, while more modest than what some of Laetriles promoters say, are still challenged by nearly all the medical profession. Recently, the substance was tested on experimental animals at the Sloan-Kettering cancer center in New York. Dr. Robert Good, director of the institute, stated: At this moment, there is no evidence Laetrile has any effect on cancer. He added: Laetrile appears to have no beneficial effect on tumors. . . . there is a lot of emotion surrounding it but little scientific evidence. Of course, proponents of the treatment dispute such conclusions.

Preventing Cancer

Another way recommended by some in dealing with cancer has to do with better nutrition. It is felt that a healthy body will be better equipped to maintain its guard against the inroads of cancer. And more authorities are recognizing the benefits that might come from such preventive medicine. The National Observer reported: Dr. Roger J. Williams told the National Academy of Sciences last week that the best preventative against cancer might be a more nutritious diet, nobody laughed. In the area of prevention, one thing that many people can do is to stop smoking. This would slash the lung cancer death rate by about 90 percent. Also, sound is the advice given by Dr. Marvin Schneiderman of the National Cancer Institute: I would recommend . . . moderation in all things. Dont smoke. Cut down your high fat intakes. Cut down the high caloric intake. For men, certainly, and perhaps for women also, a good deal more activity, a good deal more exercise. This view is quite similar to the one taken by cancer researcher Dr. Boris Sokoloff, who points out that, on the average, cancer patients weigh more than noncancer patients and that overnutrition is unusually common in histories of cancerous patients. Also recommended is having regular medical checkups. The key to successful control in cancer cases often lies in detecting it early. The sooner it is diagnosed, the more successfully it can be treated. In this regard, become familiar with the seven warning signals. If you have one or more of those signs, it can be beneficial to get professional help.

Permanent Cure

Yet, regardless of how much a person does to prevent cancer, and how well it is treated, from the human standpoint no cure is in view. But without a doubt a permanent cure is in sight! Mans Creator, Jehovah God, knows why the human body breaks down and what must be done to counteract all sickness permanently. And soon, Gods heavenly kingdom will undertake work on behalf of mankind that will result in permanent cures for all diseases, including cancer. Gods Word promises that he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away. (Rev. 21:4) The king of Gods heavenly kingdom, Christ Jesus, gave assurances of these cures to come. When he was on earth, he healed the sick and raised the dead as in evidence of what he would do as the one appointed by God to be king. Matt. 15:30, 31; John 11:38-44. All the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that the time for Gods kingdom to administer earths affairs without any rival form of rulership is very near. That will mean the time is also near for the beginning of Gods great healing program in his new order. It is a great encouragement to know that then the total and permanent eradication of this great plague, cancer, will take place. The horrible toll in death, suffering and tears because of cancer will then be gone forever!

Cancers Warning Signals

1. Unusual bleeding or discharge.

2. A lump or thickening in the breast or elsewhere.

3. A sore that does not heal.

4. Change in bowel or bladder habits.

5. Persistent hoarseness or cough.

6. Constant indigestion or difficulty in swallowing.

7. Change in size or color of a wart or mole.

**This information is from the 9/8/74 copy of the Awake!.**

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