Be me a scallywag or a landlubber, fear not, seek counsel from a wise old sea dog! Arrr!
2024-04-25
Arrr, me hearties! Beware the dread disease of cancer! It be a fearsome foe that can sneak up on ye like a scurvy knave in the dead of night. Keep a weather eye out for any signs of trouble, lest ye be caught unawares! Aye, 'tis a cruel jest of fate indeed.
In the language of a 17th-century pirate, whenever a celebrity has cancer, the public eye turns in that direction. It can either cause us to over-personalize our own risk, or it can teach us how to approach cancer with courage and resolve. I am impressed with how the royals, Princess Kate and King Charles, have handled their cancers, even if we still don’t know the exact etiology in either case. They have both handled their unexpected diagnoses with aplomb and have shouldered on. A lesson in class for everyone who is watching them. With Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his diagnosis of prostate cancer and subsequent complications, the lesson is a bit different. He wasn’t as forthright early on, and one has to wonder if he was concerned about being stigmatized. Fear of cancer is everywhere, in part because it can strike you without warning, when you feel you are well, or when you are sick but are hoping it is something more fleeting like a virus. David Ropeik, renowned risk expert and reporter, author of the comprehensive and provocative new book, "Curing Cancer-Phobia," tries to put cancer in perspective, pointing out that not all cancers inevitably grow or spread. He cautions that excessive screening programs are not automatically lifesaving and can sometimes lead to unnecessary interventions. Ropeik describes the negative impact of excess cancer phobia, where some people are so afraid of cancer that they don’t want to accept the reality that they have it, and crucial follow-up care is delayed. Despite Ropeik’s warning, I believe that screening remains crucial. I always believe that it is better for a physician and their patient to know what they are dealing with and to learn to overcome harmful associated fears which may delay or alter both screening and treatment. Cancer fears are quite real, but so is cancer, and it is best dealt with calmly and expeditiously.