Sad truth about the big "C"

Four years ago I underwent the most painful and traumatic period of my life. Four days after my father was diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer, he squeezed our hands, gasped his last breathe and died in a Calgary hospital. He was 59 years old.

This morning I awoke to be greeted with a detailed, personalized account of a cousin's battle with cancer. I have never met this cousin, in fact I am not even sure how she fits into the family tree -- but I am included on the list as a member of the King family, with origins in Liverpool, England.

The sad reality is my cousin Joanne is a statistic. A sad and devastating statistic.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, at least 2,000 Canadians between 20 and 44 will die from cancer in 2007. Another 15,000 will be diagnosed with cancer. This statistic is shocking as the disease was, once, commonly associated with the aging process. Now, however, cancer is no longer an elderly disease. Now it is the disease of our times -- a rapid growth in cellular structure that produces terminal results.

For my cousin Barry and his wife Joanne, it is the death of a mother, a wife and a friend. For my immediate family it was the loss of a father, a caregiver and a peacemaker. For many others it is the physical destruction of family units and structures.

What is even more shocking is that almost two-thirds of all diagnosed cancer in young adults (people aged 20 to 44) occurs in women, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. Two-thirds! The higher rate is due to gender-related differences -- as women are far more prone to breast cancer and are susceptible to cervical cancer.

According to a report from the Canadian Cancer Society: "If cancers of the breast, cervix,ovary and uterus are excluded for women and cancer of the testis for men, the number of incident cancers and the incidence rate are slightly higher for men (33,033 and 53.8 per 100,000, respectively) than for women (31,380 and 49.3 per 100,000, respectively)."

While the statistics are shocking, it is the emotional upheaval and aftermath that is truly shameful. To lose a mother or lover so young often appears an injustice...and the anger and rage that can accompany such a loss can often be debillitating.

However, with four years of distance between me and the loss of my father I can safely say that life does go on. While my heart and thoughts are will my cousin and his wife, while I can empathize and appreciate the tragedy and loss they are about to experience...I also know that all we can do is make the best of what we have.

My prayers are will you. Wherever you are.