Helping fight cancer is up to all of us, because it affects many

February 9, 2010 12:35 am

WHEN I was little, it seemed like only "old people" got sick or died. Now, it seems like people of all ages are fighting, and sometimes losing, the battle with cancer.

Last night I went to the funeral home to honor a friend who lost a five-year battle with cancer. He was 49 and left behind a wife and three boys, the oldest only 14.

Several weeks ago, I went to the funeral home for a precious first-grader who died of cancer.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the funeral of a grandfather who died from cancer.

My husband's uncle is fighting cancer right now, as well as my aunt. Both our grandfathers died from cancer, and I lost an aunt to the disease.

Our friends have a little boy who has been struggling with cancer almost since he was born.

I have three neighbors who are cancer survivors.

My mother-in-law is a cancer survivor, along with hosts of other friends and family members. The list just goes on and on.

If you stop to think about it, you can probably tally up a large number of people you know who are either being treated for cancer, have died from it or are in remission.

It's worth taking the time to think about it because it's an issue that at some point will touch each and every one of us. And, it's equally important that we all share in the fight against cancer instead of just leaving it to the families who are directly affected.

According to the American Cancer Society Web site, 1,479,350 people were expected to be newly diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. in 2009. In Virginia, 34,150 people were expected to be diagnosed in 2009.

In the U.S., men have slightly less than a one in two chance of developing cancer in their lifetime. Women have slightly better odds, with a little more than one in three getting cancer.

There are a few bright spots on the ACS Web site. The five-year survival rate for cancers diagnosed between 1996 and 2004 is 66 percent, up from 50 percent between 1975 and 1977.

But there still is an awful lot experts don't know about cancer. And we need to do what we can to encourage more research to get to the bottom of this disease that, to me, seems like an epidemic.

What can you do to help?

First, you can donate to the American Cancer Society. They are the largest non-governmental funding agency of cancer research in the United States. They have spent more than $3.4 billion on cancer research since 1946. Visit their Web site at cancer.org or call 800/227-2345.

Locally, there are several opportunities to make a difference.

Every year, the Relay for Life is held in multiple locations throughout the Fredericksburg region. Participants camp out and take turns walking from 4:30 in the afternoon until 6 the next morning. You can start a team, join a team, or walk as a survivor. You can donate to a team, sponsor a certain walker or just give to the event in general.

One Relay for Life is May 15-16 at Pratt Park. For more information, call Karen Bergquist at 804/224-1899 or Nancy Ann Morgan at 540/368-8172. Events can be located by city and state at relayfor life.org/relay.

Another neat event is the Fashions and Tea for a Cure March 21, 2-5 p.m., at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center. It's a great event, with participants competing to decorate the best table and cancer survivors serving as the inspirational and beautiful models of pretty clothes. More information is available at teaforthe curefredericksburg.com or you can contact Rita Berkey at 540/371-3631.

Sadly, cancer is an enemy common to us all. Take a few minutes to think about how it has affected you and yours. With everyone's help, maybe we can get a little closer to defeating this awful illness.

Shannon Howell is a freelance writer who lives in Stafford County. E-mail her at shannonh34@yahoo.com.