| Whenever anyone shows up to the party with bad | | | | restructure the way the health system works. |
| news I always question the news they bring. Some | | | | Twenty years from now if we changed our thought |
| people are like that, they really don't wish to see | | | | process from being disposable consumers to being |
| anyone having a good time so they tell you about | | | | people more in tune with the world around them |
| the orphanage that burnt down or how bad the | | | | willing to give up a little in return for a better not |
| economy is or how bleak our future looks. | | | | necessarily easier life, would we see the results of |
| When the persons doing the talking are supposed to | | | | that effort in our lifetime? Would our children or |
| be the experts on the subject you are almost forced | | | | grandchildren? |
| to take what is being said for granite. Thus what you | | | | Twenty years from now, will having it all, still mean |
| have is optimism being oppressed by reality, a truly | | | | the same thing? Or will decades of having it all finally |
| sad state of affairs. | | | | have caught up with us and forced us to change |
| Such is the case of the International Agency For | | | | what we were so unwilling to change when the |
| Research on Cancer (IARC) and their report on the | | | | decision was ours? |
| 20 year outlook for cancer fatalities. | | | | One of the greatest things about the country we live |
| The IARC is I believe an arm of the United Nations. ( | | | | in is that we have the freedom to alter our future by |
| No not where all the superheroes live, that's the | | | | simply opening our eyes to the present and as |
| justice league.) The article came out of London last | | | | individuals making the necessary changes to our |
| week and boldly states that fatalities from cancer will | | | | lifestyle, not necessarily the easiest changes to |
| double by the year 2030 with my arch nemesis, lung | | | | improve our life and health. |
| cancer, leading the way. Here's a startling little fact | | | | Twenty years is the blink of an eye, twenty years |
| for you from the article, in 2008, lung cancer was the | | | | passes like the moon on a warm summers night. We |
| most commonly diagnosed form of cancer worldwide | | | | could have such an impact in twenty years if we |
| at 1.61 million cases. Lung cancer also accounted for | | | | chose to. We could commit to alternative fuel |
| the most fatalities at 1.38 million. Let's see a little | | | | sources, we could eliminate things from our lives that |
| quick math and that's roughly a 14 % survival rate if | | | | destroy our environment. We could change our |
| you are a true optimist. The overall figure of all | | | | eating habits to become healthier. We could change |
| cancers combined for 2008, 12.7 million diagnosed | | | | our buying habits to fit a lifestyle that doesn't end up |
| with 7.6 million fatalities. Now fast forward twenty | | | | being our downfall. |
| years and we are faced with a staggering figure of | | | | Twenty years from now we could reduce the cancer |
| 21.4 million worldwide cases along with 13.2 million | | | | fatality rate by twenty five percent and we could do |
| fatalities. | | | | it without the need for new toxic remedies or even |
| If the director of the IARC, Christopher Wild, has | | | | finding a cure after the cancer cells have been |
| provided us with his best assessment of the future | | | | activated. Many of us talk about it all the time. I am |
| then he is no longer invited to the party. | | | | constantly seeing articles referring to three things. |
| The research done to provide such a report I'm sure | | | | Proper diet, exercise, natural vitamin sources. But the |
| was completed by highly intelligent people, probably a | | | | fact of the matter is this, you are probably reading |
| panel of experts, top scientists, researchers, doctors, | | | | this article and others like it because you have a |
| people who's walls hold many more plaques and | | | | connection to cancer already either you yourself |
| certificates then mine ever will. Now let me tell you | | | | have been effected or someone close to you. You |
| why I cannot accept their look into the crystal ball of | | | | are likely to already be aware of the effect of |
| our future. | | | | proper diet on the body, It is getting information out |
| As a current lung cancer survivor, I sometimes | | | | to everyone else who have not been directly |
| replace rational, practical thinking for straight passion | | | | effected but could easily find themselves as statistics |
| in what I do and what I believe in. When I read a | | | | twenty years from now. |
| projection of this nature, it is a direct assault not only | | | | Here's how you can have a direct impact on the |
| upon me but against every cancer group and | | | | future, help those who have not had a direct cancer |
| organization worldwide. It's an indictment against who | | | | impact, understand how to help themselves avoid it. |
| we are and what we stand for. If you are going to | | | | Cancer once it has begun, once the cells are active |
| stand up and say, "Sorry, every mile you walked, | | | | and spreading is unpredictable at best. Lung cancer is |
| every minute you've volunteered along with every | | | | so lethal of a killer that it claims over seventy |
| dime that you have ever raised or donated to fund | | | | percent of those diagnosed. If we do not change |
| one of the many worthy cancer organizations or | | | | some things right away, then I'm afraid that the U.N. |
| institutions that provide research that are out there | | | | report will be dead on accurate (please forgive the |
| was for nothing." Are you attempting to convince me | | | | poor choice of phrase)if not understated. But the |
| that in a world of the future we have made no | | | | things that need to be changed need to come from |
| advances in the treatment of various cancers. Is | | | | each one of us. We have to be the ones who take |
| what your saying to me and every other person, | | | | charge of our lives, if we are waiting for the |
| family, child, loved one on the face of the earth that | | | | government to intervene then we are fools. If we |
| we still have no answers, no cure, in fact it is getting | | | | are waiting for large health care or pharmaceutical |
| worse? Are you telling me that the scientists and | | | | companies to save us with a mystical cure, It is not |
| researchers who have dedicated their lives, spent the | | | | in their best interest to cure it, just find new and |
| long, long hours in the laboratories the world over | | | | expensive ways to treat it. Our best chance for a |
| have lived a life in vain? | | | | cure seems to me to be found on one of the many |
| Why would I accept any of that? You might as well | | | | college campuses where research is performed. Of |
| try to convince me that fighting for survival was not | | | | course the fear being that a cure will be found and |
| worth the fight. | | | | then tied up and obscured in the red tape world we |
| The Human Factor. | | | | live in. A cure for cancer, is going to cost some big |
| Whenever I hear the phrase the "The Human | | | | businesses a whole lot of cash when discovered. |
| Factor," it seems to be meant to conjure up that | | | | Let's talk about that way to reduce the fatality rate. |
| "We just could win this thing feeling." The feeling that | | | | Cancer cells have the capability of killing you once |
| even against overwhelming odds the human spirit will | | | | they become active and begin to multiply and spread. |
| find a way to overcome and be successful. In this | | | | Cancer cells are present in everyone's body but they |
| instance I believe the human factor has a darker idea | | | | are held at bay by our immune systems. It is when |
| behind it. It would seem to me that if we cannot | | | | we have a fundamental breakdown in our immune |
| reduce the fatalities from cancer in the future then | | | | systems that the flood gates open for the |
| the human factor is in play. In this case it would | | | | multiplication of cancer cells. |
| mean that the people who benefit more by us not | | | | If you allow enough cancer cells to gather and that's |
| finding a cure have won and are keeping the status | | | | when you have problems my friend. Now pay |
| quo meanwhile continuing to profit from overpriced | | | | attention please. The best way to reduce cancer |
| treatments and medications billed on your behalf to | | | | fatalities, the best way to fight cancer.....avoid it. You |
| insurance companies that are happy to pay it and | | | | cannot avoid having bad cells in your body, what you |
| then just raise the patients premiums to pay for it. A | | | | can avoid is letting your immune system go to hell |
| finely greased money machine. Let's face it there is | | | | and opening yourself up for an attack. |
| plenty of money to be made at the cost of | | | | For the future, let's just concentrate on what we |
| someone else's misery and if someday an executive | | | | know and what we can control. First of all, you can |
| should happen to find themselves battling a severe | | | | greatly reduce many life threatening illnesses including |
| case of guilty conscience, Well, we feel bad for old | | | | cancer by keeping your bodies ph balance level. If |
| Charlie, but Betty is waiting in the wings to keep the | | | | you began today to make healthier dietary choices |
| machine running please pass the torch. | | | | and began to reduce your intake of fast foods or |
| If there are no significant advances made, you can | | | | questionably prepared foods you would be taking a |
| bet your bottom dollar it's because curing cancer is | | | | step in the right direction. If you started questioning |
| not cost effective. | | | | where the meat you purchase comes from, how it is |
| So if the human factor comes into play as it has | | | | raised, how it is prepared for market and what type |
| over the past twenty years then what are some | | | | of chemicals are used in raising it, you would be |
| other things that we might have to look forward to | | | | making a step in the right direction. Farm fresh does |
| in 2030? | | | | not substitute for organic. I believe and I'm not alone, |
| To change our future some thing would have to | | | | that the immune system is effected greatly by our |
| change today. Before we start to discuss the need | | | | intake of various chemicals in our industrial farm |
| for alternative energy sources, health care, recycling, | | | | produced foods. Take control of what you eat. |
| food and water safety, we must first discuss a | | | | Reduce the amount of coffee you drink maybe |
| fundamental change in the way we conduct business, | | | | supplement green tea for coffee. You need to find |
| starting at the top and working backwards. | | | | ways to reduce the amount of acid you are adding |
| First all lobbyist should be removed from the political | | | | to your body. Cancer cells thrive in an acidic |
| system and anyone who has taken large amounts of | | | | environment. Meat is also a high acid contributor |
| lobby money from places like oil companies should be | | | | which is why fish and chicken are considered better |
| removed from office. So take the money and the | | | | for you then beef and pork. |
| special interest groups out of the politics and your | | | | Vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants are vital to |
| left hopefully with people making decisions based on | | | | helping grow and unleash the cells in our bodies that |
| what is in our best interest. That would be a great | | | | kill things like cancer cells keeping them in check. |
| advancement for our society. | | | | Exercise and sunlight, these two things can not be |
| In the future if we could change the current human | | | | understated. Unfortunately, we have found a way to |
| factor thought process from "the one who dies with | | | | make exercise a multi billion dollar industry and we as |
| the most stuff wins," to "the one who gives back | | | | a society have changed the definition of exercise to |
| the most stuff wins," wouldn't that help brighten the | | | | joining a gym or buying a ton of equipment. Let me |
| future? | | | | help you out with this, walk, learn some deep |
| In the future, one day, what if we realized that just | | | | breathing exercises, cancer cells cannot thrive in an |
| because we can afford to super size our meals,does | | | | oxygenated environment. Walk and preferably take a |
| not mean that it is in our best interest to do so. | | | | walk in the sunshine, the body needs sunshine it helps |
| What if in the future we outlawed plastic containers? | | | | keep everything in check. What else does the body |
| No more water bottles, plastic storage devices, | | | | need? Water. We are organic beings and if you look |
| plastic food containers. Lets go back to glass. Why, | | | | at it in that manner, Sunshine, water proper intake of |
| you ask. For what's left of our environment. How | | | | minerals avoidance of harmful toxins. Couple some |
| about this, so we do not continue to add to the | | | | dietary alterations with finding ways to reduce stress |
| floating country the size of Texas that is made up of | | | | in your life and your well on your way to avoiding |
| plastic garbage that has been dumped in the ocean | | | | becoming a 2030 statistic. |
| where it gathers in the pacific out of sight out of | | | | If in places where it were possible we could alter our |
| mind. If you are not aware of this do some | | | | over eating and poor choice eating habits I think we |
| homework. If it's Texas sized now, in twenty years | | | | reduce cancer as well as other major disease |
| what will it be? | | | | fatalities greatly. If we remain too busy to care, too |
| In the future if we took a step back and once again | | | | busy to teach our children better habits, too busy to |
| began growing our own food at least enough to | | | | stop and look at the world we have forged for |
| supplement some of what is being purchased, could | | | | ourselves, then I am afraid that everything will be in |
| we not begin to alter the effects of all the chemicals | | | | vain. I'm afraid we will visit a future where over |
| placed in our food? Bring back the family farm and | | | | thirteen million people dieing from cancer alone will be |
| you will re grow strong communities, teaching our | | | | just a small piece of a much larger problem. |
| children how to be self sufficient and live a life based | | | | I am not asking you to donate money, I'm not asking |
| off of being good neighbors and not what some | | | | you to walk a marathon. I'm not asking you to |
| mindless bimbo is doing on reality TV. If you grew | | | | completely change or live your life afraid that the sky |
| corn and your neighbor grew wheat maybe you | | | | might be falling. What I am asking for is that you |
| would take the time to get to know them again and | | | | open your mind to finding better ways to live in the |
| arrange a practical arrangement, without the fear of | | | | future by making small changes now starting with |
| being sewed for stepping on their property. | | | | your health and the health of the people you are |
| With a change to the current "Human Factor", maybe | | | | responsible for. Then let's look at the way we do |
| we would have a universal healthcare system in this | | | | things, the way we govern ourselves and our actions |
| country like the rest of the civilized world. Maybe the | | | | and the things we need to do to reduce cancer by |
| wellbeing of each citizen would mean enough to us to | | | | fifty percent in the year 2050. |
| disband the health insurance industry altogether and | | | | |