Young People's Fight

Here is a link to a CBS News story about young people and cancer.  I am really get fired up about how many stories I've been hearing about teenagers and young adults with cancer who have been misdiagnosed.  It is leading to far too many deaths.  Our best way of fighting cancer in this day and age is early detection.  When the doctors are biased and don't believe that young people can get cancer it throws early detection out the window.  If my old doctor had started doing tests the moment I went in with initial problems, I probably wouldn't have stage 3 cancer.  It probably would have remained stage 2 and I wouldn't have to be facing chemotherapy now.  Not to mention, young people have to live with the side effects of chemotherapy for years!  That is if the chemo doesn't kill them quicker than they would have been killed by the cancer.  No wonder the death rates haven't been going down for my age group.  We are encountering far too many biased doctors.  I say to the medical profession: Rule out the worst and then work from there.  At least if they can confirm that it is NOT cancer, they haven't screwed our chances of fighting it at an early stage.  And then, if it is in fact cancer, we will be giving our best chance!  It only makes sense!!!

I should note though, I truly do not blame the doctors.  This seems to be such a global problem, it points to the education of the doctors rather than the doctors themselves.  I've never been through med school, but I can imagine that the text books give age brackets within which you would find the majority of patients for each disease (thus the term "Textbook Case").  This needs to change at the educational level, in my opinion.  I have no gripes about my current doctors.  I respect and admire the work they do.  My GP was extremely proactive in figuring out what was wrong with me.  I would recommend her to anybody.  My specialist had her hands tied somewhat by the system, so there were weeks, sometimes months between tests.  She was extremely knowledgeable and someone I will continue to put my trust in.  My Surgeon was a whiz who did a fabulous job of cutting out my "pooper" (as some of my dear friends refer to it).  She has a great bedside manner as well, which a lot of surgeon's aren't known for.  I love the fact that all my docs are women too.  Girl Power!  Wooot!  (Ok, I am officially lame.  I just rolled my eyes at myself).

Please read the article:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57352449/teens-young-adults-still-struggle-with-cancer/?tag=mncol%3Blst%3B1