Cancer touches many lives in one way or another. Understanding it helps us come to terms with our many fears associated with it. Understanding also helps us better gauge exactly what type of support we or our loved ones need.

Learning about cancer

There is no lack of things to learn about cancer, such as the difference between a Stage I and Stage IV diagnosis, the way cancers grow and metastasize, how different treatments work, or the side effects of chemotherapy. The more we know about cancer, the more we know how to deal with it.

Reading, researching, and talking with others about cancer are also great ways to stay on top of new developments in cancer treatments. Keeping up-to-date with the latest information helps us lend support to others by gaining a sense of what they are facing.

Sharing cancer information

In one way or another, everyone has the ability to be a teacher. The more we know about cancer, the more we can help someone who may be frozen from the shock of diagnosis, terrified at the thought of losing a spouse or a child, or grappling with the loss of a loved one.

We help each other when we share our knowledge and experience, whether it's by talking about our own experience, giving feedback about information and research, or building a support network of people touched by cancer.

Spread the word about cancer prevention

Becoming familiar with the many established preventive measures could save your life or the life of someone you love. If we know, for example, that cancer is often easily defeated in its early stages, we can encourage the people we love to get screenings and have them done ourselves.

A few well-established cancer prevention techniques include:

• Annual screenings: Studies prove time and again that annual screenings save lives. People in high risk groups should get one every six months. Many types of cancer can be easily treated when diagnosed in their early stages.
• Healthy living: Healthy eating habits and regular exercise can lower the risk of cancer and diseases which can lead to cancer, such as obesity and diabetes.
• Avoiding triggers: Certain lifestyle habits, such as smoking, sun or booth tanning, and excessive drinking, put people in the high-risk group for cancer.

See also

• An introduction to cancer
• Cancer Types
• Planning your treatment
• Prevention techniques

Some additional information can be found at:

. Sun Protection And You