What are the disadvantages of Cancer?

I'm doing this research project on just the general information of Cancer. Its a powerpoint presentation and on one of the slides, i am putting the disadvantages of Cancer. However, i can't find any unconveniant things about Cancer yet i know there are AT LEAST a few disadvantages. For example, like hair loss. So anybody know any disadvantages of Cancer? Please let me know. Thank you.

What are the disadvantages of Cancer?
lol... literally....





There are TONS


-Hair loss is one


-During treatment most patients immune system bottom out leaving them 'neutropenic' (look up that word) and incredably susceptable to infection


-Most patients experience extreme nausea and cant eat.


-But ofcourse the docs know that so they feed us steroids which causes us to GAIN weight


-Lethargy


-Loss of friends, because they just cant handle being around you... so they continue to live their lives day by day while you are puking your guts up and being pulled out of the hospital floor by the nurses


-Most patients cant work during treatment, so financial instability, loss of house, car.. since most people dont have insurance, they loose all their assets trying to pay for their treatment or because they cant make the loan payments


-Even though there are discrimination laws against it, most employers are going to be leary of hiring a cancer survivor for their first job after treatment. They will never say so directly because of the laws, but the insurance rates will be higher, the risk of you trying to go back to work too soon, or relapsing and having to quit after they put the expense in to train you, or because they are unwilling to be flexable with your doc apts


-Being stuck in the hospital for weeks at a time (most patients arent, but I am a leukemia patient, and leukemia is a a lil different.. I have had lots of 1-3 weeks stays, 2 5 week stays, 1 7 week stay... I have been in the hospital more over the last 3 years than I have been at home


-All the medications you have to take


-I am now infertile thanks to my treatment and didnt have time to harvest eggs before hand.


-My treatment puts me at higher risk for several other cancers


-My spouse and I cannot legally marry because his health insurance wont cover anything to do with my cancer post treatment and he makes too much money for my public insurance, and my total medication bill is about 2000 right now, and will be the rest of my life (again, with the leukemia a lil different, I had a bone marrow transplant and unlike most other patients, I have not been able to come off all the post transplant meds


-Since I cant work, and my spouse barely makes enough money to support us, I get to do my shopping at yard sales and goodwill instead of the mall (which really sucks when you are 24)


-Most patients credit gets completly screwed. Even those who have insurance, it doesnt pay everything. And even though some things dont take medical bills into consideration, it will be 10-15 years before I could even think about a mortgage or car loan... that is if I had the money in the first place.





wow... the list just never ends





-most patients experience some type of depression or anxiety


-while you were out partying, I was puking my guts up


-while most people my age were finishing their degrees and getting started in their careers... I was stuck in the hospital and now sitting on my couch


-I have atleast one doc apt a week


-I have to have blood work taken atleast twice a month
Reply:Any disadvantages of cancer Brenda? Please include death.


I've seen many good people die of these bad diseases.


Death would seem the most important disadvantage.


23% of all deaths in the USA are due to cancer.


I can't think of any advantages or good things about cancers unless it is the high curability rate for some types.





2008 Statistics (Estimated by the American Cancer Society)





Death from cancer in men - 294,120 PEOPLE -%26gt;%26gt; death


[Fathers, brothers, sons]





Lung 31%


Prostate 10%


Colon %26amp; rectum 8%


Pancreas 6%


Liver 4%


Leukemia 4%


Esophagus 4%


Urinary bladder 3%


Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 3%


Kidney %26amp; renal pelvis 3%


All other sites 24%





Women - 271,530 PEOPLE dead from cancer in one year


[Wives, mothers, sisters, daughters]


26% Lung cancers


15% Breast cancers


9% Colon %26amp; rectum


6% Pancreas


6% Ovary


3% Non-Hodgkin lymphoma


3% Leukemia


3% Uterus


2% Liver


2% Brain


25% All other sites
Reply:Uh...biggest disadvantage...





I have cancer.





Other disadvantages...I stress about relapse, I stress about secondary cancers, and I stress about my body deciding that it doesn't want to respond to treatment anymore. Even though I'm not done with treatment, I deal with survivors guilt. I get depressed that I got an "easy" cancer and other people die from it.





But I thank my lucky stars for cancer kicking me in the *** to tell me to get a move on my life, not to take simple things for granted, and love the people I have because I won't have them forever.
Reply:Unfortunately, there are some very big disadvantages to cancer, but if you haven't had it in your own family (and I'm VERY glad for you if that's true!), you wouldn't necessarily know.


- Treatment is generally expensive and very uncomfortable (nausea and other gastric disturbances, as well as hair loss)


- High levels of discomfort ranging upwards to severe pain


- Emotional distress, like fear, panic, anxiety, terror, and extreme sadness both for self and other family members


- Weakness/illness often prevents any normal, pleasurable activities


- Death can sometimes be the outcome


It might be a good idea to have someone review any slides you might have about any sorts of 'good' points before you use them.


Good luck on your project - it's a good thing to learn about.


Added: Jenn, sorry to hear that - sending MANY positive thoughts your way!
Reply:Are you sure that "disadvantage" is the right word?





Waiting to die, not like in a cartoon, is not a disadvantage for the person and the family, it is a tragedy.





Intense, incessant pain is not a "disadvantage, it is an agony.


[Think about the worst pain you have ever felt and triple it.]





I think that you may have very little experience of cancer - I hope you never do.
Reply:Besides the suffering, pain, dying, getting parts of of your body cut out in surgery, side effects of radiation and chemotherapy, and the possibility of other people in your family getting cancer, I can't think of any disadvantages at all.

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