Are We Winning the War on Cancer? Yes or No
In this article of, “Are We Winning the War on Cancer?” there are two sides, yes, we are
winning the war on cancer and no, we are not winning the war on cancer. (Daniel)
American cancer society president, John R. (Seffrin), believes that we are winning the war
on cancer. He states that with our development from 40 years ago to now, our scientific
diagnostics are paying off. Although, Seffrin, does state that we “the people”, can change our
world significantly by helping spread the word of being healthier; by being healthier, the U.S
(consumers) should limit tobacco use in our country and we will see a decrease in percentage of
cancer deaths per year. Seffrin is telling us that America has come a long way in what we
originally started with. As for the medicines and the testing of chemotherapy/radiation, they have
helped subside symptoms and growth of tumors and cancers. Tobacco is still one of the main
leads of cancer in our society today. With this being said, if the people of America reduce their
smoking, encourage others to stop and/or debate against it, as well as promote a health awareness
of a non-tobacco environment; this will essentially help save millions, if not more lives. If clean
door air laws come into place, this will help prevent second-hand smoke, therefore, preventing
cancer and/or other health risks. If us, Americans, step up and do our part to help stop the
increase of cancer causing problems in the world, we can help stop the spread of cancer. That
being said, keeping the funds at an exact range where it will help scientists advance more with
therapies and vaccines will benefit the future of supplementary research to help prevent/cure
cancer. Today we have the knowledge, recourses and information to reduce risks of cancer. But,
without the help of the government, politicians and the public awareness on how important cancer
prevention is, has become a major concern to many advocacy groups around the world. All in all,
Seffrin believes that if everyone works to create a better environment, we will overcome unstable
health and create a more compromised society to benefit those who are at risk of cancer. (Seffrin)
Physician and professor, Reynold (Spector), in this article of, “Are we winning the war on
cancer?” believes otherwise, he says no. Spector’s view is, that the actualities of cancer winning
the war is imperceptible at this time. Within this last 40 years since the cancer act, there has not
been a substantial amount of success. Scientific studies show the percentage rates of unsuccessful
treatments throughout the years; with little evidence showing whether or not the cancer is benign
or virulent without having to go through surgery or radiation. Some cancers can go untreated
because they are a noncancerous tumor; this means, that a good majority of people are getting
treated when they don’t need to be. There is a list of many things us Americans know that are the
main cause of cancer. With that, we still are unaware of certain internal and external elements of
cancers fundamentals essence; meaning, there is not enough scientific evidence to prove what is
the main cause of such, “factor”, to help prevent these probable causes of ‘said’ cancer. There are
many vaccines that can help prevent/minimize cancerous tumors, but can also be just as
dangerous in result. Side effects from these drugs can be crucial to one’s health and can become
deathly. Overall, scientists are not constructing enough on-going studies showing new data about
prevention and minimization of cancer. The more knowledge we know about what is causing
individuals cancer, the easier it will be to prevent/cure the cancer. As well as, knowing if a cancer
is benign or malignant without having to go through surgery/radiation and/or unnecessary
treatment; which can cause damage from side effects.
So, are we winning the war on cancer?
I myself, believe yes, we are winning the war on cancer. Reading the article by (Seffrin),
has shown examples on how far we have come with technology and advanced research. With this
information provided on how we can act against cancer; how can we win the war on cancer?
First, we must see what needs to be done to get the foundation of awareness out, so that
we can succeed in winning the war on cancer. Seffrin states, “Science alone, public health alone,
or public policy alone cannot get us to where we need to be to realize this very possible dream.”
(Seffrin 57), of winning cancer. With this, “—we must promote and elevate prevention into public
policy and standard practice nationwide.” (Seffrin 59). With this, I believe getting the word out to
a variety of recourses around the world and social media will help motivate the “cure”, on cancer.
If we were to do more fundraisers, sponsorships, support groups, meetings/gatherings etc.,
pertaining to cancer and the benefits of how to prevent the spread of cancer worldly; we can
reduce the risk of cancer in many lives. Seffrin also says, “But, although we’ve made
extraordinary progress, we still have a long way to go.” (Seffrin 60). Knowing that, us Americans
do know that there are many vaccines and therapies helping cancer patients in this nation. We just
have not yet found the real solution to elimination of this “at most”, fatal disease.
Overall, the advancement of medicine and technology over the years have evolved a great
deal. With help from the U.S citizens, agencies and more we can overcome cancer. As Seffrin
says, “As a result, if current trends persist, by 2020, the number of new cancer cases worldwide
will grow to 15 million and the number of deaths will double to as many as 12 million.” (Seffrin
57). This statement alone, means that we Americans need to change our lifestyles, so that we can
benefit our health for our future.
In our society, if we were to follow everything regarding (Seffrin)’s statements, we can
reduce the risks of cancer in the upcoming generations of our nation. Having an abundance
amount of people in this world aware of the damage our daily activities have affected our health,
such as cancer; furthermore, will rescue many lives from the suffering and emotional turmoil of
cancer. By having our society act together as one, we can overcome this vicious cycle of disease
and reduce the loss of lives in the next few years.
Works Cited
Daniel. "Are We Winning the War on Cancer? ." Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Health and Society. n.d.
54.
Seffrin, John R. "Winning the War on Cancer: Public Health or Public Policy Challenge?" Vital Speecehs of
the Day (2006): 56-61.
Spector, Reynold. "The War on Cancer: A Progress Report for Skeptics." Skeptical Inquirer (2010): 62-79.