Cancer - known largely as a disease of our modern establishment - ravages our bodies, our minds, and our spirits indiscriminately.
It could prey upon anyone.
Why has this horror become a part of our everyday conversation? Why has it affected so many? What can we do about it? Within the confines of this article, I will address these questions.
At any meeting place - restaurants, stores, golf courses, offices, malls - people exchange woeful tales of Cancer's attack upon friends, relatives, neighbors, or other loved ones fallen victim to this evil.
Cancer Rates Have Tripled Since 1900 Cancer is not necessary, but education of the origin of this malignancy is.
According to the American Cancer Society, Forty-one thousand (41,000) Americans (64 people per 100,000) died of cancer in 1900.
This figure equates to more than 112 people per day.
According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention: "In 2005, an estimated 570,280 Americans-more than 1,500 people a day-will die of cancer.
" This figure equates to nearly 200 people per 100,000.
Comparing the statistics in the previous two paragraphs, we can see that cancer deaths per 100,000 have more than tripled since 1900.
Previously, I suggested that cancer is a disease of our modern establishment.
At the beginning of this century there were relatively few cases of cancer.
In the 1800's and previous to then, it was even less prevalent.
Why have cancer deaths sky-rocketed? If we fear this killer, then we should know what lures it to us.
Most people feel that they have no control over developing this disease.
This isn't so.
With knowledge and strong resolve, we can beat back our fear and focus on increasing our immunity to cancer.
Simple, Unrefined Food is Necessary for Cancer Prevention Let's consider the similarities of 19th century America and countries where cancer is practically non-existent.
For the most part, the only countries that have a low incidence of cancer are those countries where the environment is largely unspoiled and where the food is simple and unrefined.
These countries are generally agricultural nations where highly processed food is uncommon.
Nearly a century ago - before the arrival of chemical fertilizers - farming in America was organic.
Apart from the industrial centers, the environment was relatively pristine.
I interpret these Cancer statistics to point to the subsequent arrival of a chemically toxic environment, over-processed foods, and stress as cancer's root cause.
To better understand the possible root causes of cancer, you should know that cancer is considered an acid disease that may be generated by an over consumption of acid foods: usually meat, dairy products, and coffee.
Toxic food substances, tobacco, environmental poisons and other potential hazards may also contribute to the possibility of developing cancer.
In each decade since the early 1900's, we have seen an astronomical increase in the use of harmful additives, colorings, irradiation, insecticides, fungicides, and the list could go on indefinitely, as you may well know.
Conclusion By asking ourselves how we can avoid being a Cancer statistic, we need to do what is in our power to do.
We can avoid toxic food substances by not ingesting them.
We can also abstain from tobacco and other known carcinogens.
It is far more difficult to avoid contact with environmental poisons since they surround us.
We don't want to contribute to these poisons; therefore, we ought to use environmentally friendly products.
When we join with like-minded others, we can influence legislation by supporting political candidates who pledge themselves to environmental stances.