This perfect sentiment from a beautiful, very young mother, and new cancer survivor touches our hearts. Cancer shocks us all, but there are many who have traversed this rocky terrain who can help those hurting with healing hope. You have most likely been that person in your own family and friend circle. The one who says, “You’ve got this”.
As we marvel at Princess Kate’s strength, resilience and reassurance with a background of beautiful daffodils (the symbol of cancer survivors) our attention shifts from her. Many in our own families, touched by cancer, have had loved ones taken too soon. We have witnessed suffering we feel helpless to mitigate. We also are shocked and saddened. Perhaps today we wonder how we would react with the same news.
The teachable moments today are many. First, how is cancer detected? A pain, unusual bleeding are most frequent symptoms that bring patients to the doctor and lead to scans. Abdominal pain can be liver, kidney, stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, bile duct, bowel, or gyn, like ovarian, fallopian tube, uterus, cervix. The risk of cancer in people under 50 is increasing (1 in 70!) with breast and colon most frequent. Even routine colon screening is moving to age 45.
How could someone have major surgery and be surprised by cancer? Not all are found on scans and so until specimens are taken and examined microscopically by pathology, you don’t know. You may have been surprised to find you have lymph nodes with breast cancer after surgery. The stains and tests these tissues are subjected to are growing constantly. These take more time to process. Also increasingly liquid (blood) biopsies can now detect circulating DNA.
Therapy we discuss alot here, but for today, let’s clear confusion. Perhaps the word “preventative” is used in the UK, or it was deliberatly chosen to keep the message hopeful. Preventative is to avoid, not treat, a cancer. A good example was during the STAR trial we gave women tamoxifen to avoid developing breast cancer. More actual preventative measures are being developed (we have tried aspirin for colon, vaccines are now coming, one currently being studied in UK for lung cancer, and we already have HPV virus vaccines) but once a cancer is detected, we move the phrase to adjuvant. Kate had surgery which is being followed by adjuvant chemo and yes it is to avoid the cancer from returning but it is treatment. And as many of you know, chemo is no joke. It is not given to prevent a cancer, we use chemo and radiation to control disease or keep any circulating microscopic cells from growing. When surgery is performed for a known cancer, many tissues like lymph nodes, pelvic washings, extra margins are taken. Adjuvant treatment may be necesssary when cancer was not detected until after tissues are examined post surgery, and so a full cancer operation had not been performed.
What every one of us appreciates is how cancer has infiltrated our lives- sometimes serreptitiuosly, sometimes with explosive fanfare. Educating yourself and having an advocate is critical to your wellbeing. We will not avoid every cancer. No status, privilege, palaces, royalty or even Buckingham guards can keep it away. The real force will be within you. Not even to cure or control, but to manage. That’s true of everything in life. You have managed education, work, business, careers, family, children, ailments and injury. Don’t be frightened. Be forceful. Get the attention you need and don’t let cancer take your power. You’ve got this and to quote the Princess, “You are not alone”. God save the King, the Princess and all of our brave cancer patients.