According to the American Cancer Society’s website, September is an awareness month for the following: Prostate Cancer, Childhood Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Gynecologic Cancer, Leukemia and Lymphoma, and Thyroid Cancer. Different organizations have launched campaigns supporting each of these causes, including fundraising events for cancer research, a wig drive, medical examinations, disease tests, donation collections, victim and family support groups, and much more.
On August 30, 2013, President Barak Obama released three Presidential Proclamations regarding one similar subject; cancer awareness. The President declared September 2013 to be National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. In each proclamation he explains statistics regarding survival and diagnosis rates, as well as the support of his administration to those affected by these three diseases.
Jeff Gordon’s Children’s Foundation launched its “Kick It for Children’s Cancer” campaign and stated that over 13,000 kids under the age of 15 are diagnosed with cancer each year. Other statistics include one in five kids diagnosed with cancer will die, one in 300 boys will develop cancer before the age of 20, and one in 333 girls will develop cancer before their 20th birthday. The foundation explains how important it is to raise awareness and to take action against pediatric cancer.
Over 22,000 women are diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer each year and approximately 15,000 will die, according to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). There is not a specific medical test that detects Ovarian Cancer, therefore most cases aren’t caught until the later stages, lowering the survival rate.
One in six men are affected by Prostate Cancer, making it the most common non-skin cancer in the US. The Prostate Cancer Foundation explains that this disease affects mostly older men. For example, one in 10,000 men under the age of 40 will be diagnosed with Prostate cancer but one in 38 men ages 40-59 will develop the disease and an astounding one in 14 over the age of 60 will be diagnosed.
The key to preventing not only cancer but most health issues in general, is to take good care of yourself and your loved ones. Eating healthy and exercising, getting enough sleep and most importantly, getting the proper medical exams, are all ways to ensure you’ll be at your healthiest.
So how can we make a difference? Volunteer at a children’s hospital, walk in a cancer fundraiser, take your kids and other family members for their annual check-up; for physicians, encourage your patients to do all of the above, donate what you can, join a support group, and help raise awareness.
The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) offers a Fellowship in Integrative Cancer Therapies (ICT), directed by Mark Rosenberg, MD. The Fellowship allows any healthcare practitioner to enroll and learn improved cancer treatments and how to overall improve the quality of life for cancer patients. Topics included in the Fellowship are Cancer Prevention, The Biology of Cancer, Immunology of Cancer, Targeted Cancer Therapies, Case Histories, Integrative Cancer Therapies, Dietary Treatments of Cancer, Nutritional Integrative Cancer Therapies, Detoxification, and New Radiological Treatments and Stem Cell Therapies. For more information, visit http://www.a4m.com/fellowships.html