In the United States, the month of October celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness, and though that month has come and gone, the benefits to remaining vigilant about cancer and its prevalence in our society is important to keep in mind, even as we roll through November. With staggering rates of diagnosis, nearly 40% of men and 38% of women at some point in their lifetime will be told they have cancer in the US. Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, there is no one-size-fits-all  “cure,” and you would be pressed to find someone whose life has not been touched by cancer in one way or another. If not someone you’re related to has battled cancer, a friend or friend of a friend has, standing as a horrible, unifying piece in society. There’s a very real reason negative things that leach on a subject are described as “plagues” or “cancers.”

Cancer is the result of faulty cells in the body, copying and multiplying unchecked until tumors form. “Cancer” was named as such by Hippocrates in ancient Greece, though older specimens and descriptions of such conditions have been found in human bodies since ancient Egypt and beyond. Cancer has had a prominent role in medicine for thousands of years. Breast and prostate are the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer in the United States; more than 300,000 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the country this year, and more than 250,000 cases of prostate cancer in men.

My father and grandfather are both in remission for cancer, colon and prostate respectively, and while I can’t say it was a very difficult time for me personally, as they were both early diagnosis and treatment worked well, that is not always the case. While there are many different types of treatment for cancer–like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and surgical removal of infected parts–some methods are more intensive on the general body than others. Cancer cells present themselves the same way that other, non-cancerous cells do, which is why they’re able to multiply and take over a body with little response from the host system. Cancer treatment, though adaptations and development are being made to further their effectiveness, has difficulties honing and focusing on certain areas, leaving the entire body victim to the intense treatment required to kill cancerous cells.

The National Cancer Institute has been in operation since 1937, furthering research in cancer fields and assisting families for generations. In the 1940s, only about 25% of women with breast cancer were projected to live ten years following diagnosis, a number that had tripled to 75% in the 1990s. This dramatic increase is a direct result of cancer research and development, furthering treatment and preventative methods. One thing anyone will tell you about American Healthcare is that it is expensive. Cancer treatment can cost recipients hundreds of thousands of dollars, and many individuals find themselves in need of charity from their community in order to afford the care and live comfortably. No Shave November and Stand Up To Cancer are just two of many fundraising projects that offer proceeds to various cancer research programs and that ease the burden placed on patients and their families going through cancer. Here at Adams, thanks to JAVA (John Adams Volunteer Association), donations can be made to No Shave November participants with all funds going to the American Cancer Society.