Want Your Valued Opinion

[tiredmom959]

I haven't posted much on here lately, but still visit frequently to see how everyone is doing. Lost my mom November 23rd, 2007 to lung cancer, so it's coming up on the 2nd anniversary.

I took my dad to an eye doctor appointment today, and as I'm sitting in the waiting room, I pick up a free magazine called "Western Pennsylvania, Guide to Good Health" (we're from a suburb of Pittsburgh). They profile/interview various doctors in the area and one of the featured docs is an oncologist by the name of Dr. Stanley Marks. He's with UPMC Cancer Centers (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) and, from the article, seemingly very "high up" in the hierarchy of the system.

He was mostly talking about research and funding, but a couple of his quotes caught my eye and I wanted to see what the members here thought of them. It may be the thought of my mom's anniversary approaching, but for some reason, they made me angry!

This is from the article when the doctor is asked about cancer prevention: "Most cancers are preventable," he says. "if you look at all the cancers across the board, more than 2/3 of them are preventable, such as quitting smoking and reducing sun exposure. The other third are caused by obesity and bad diet." .... "I think a healthy lifestyle and exercising weekly clearly prevents most cancers."

SO, if I am to believe what this doctor -- an expert in oncology -- says, with the exception of a few percent, we bring cancer on ourselves? He doesn't even MENTION genetics, let alone anything else!

I have the urge to write this guy a letter, although it may not be so nice. Am I wrong?

[Bud Baker]

Unfortunately, plenty of doctors, just like other people, have this attitude. If they can find something definitive to blame cancer on, it helps them believe that they'll never get cancer themselves.

[Kasey]

What an idiot!!!!!!! He is doing ALL cancer patients a major disservice. Shame on him .

Kasey

[lilyjohn]

I agree with Bud. I also believe that when they don't know what the cause is they take the easy way out. You see that with all kinds of medical problems.

Unforunately the idea that smoking is the only cause has caused them to focus only on that and not look for other causes. I am trying as so many of us are to get the word out but people just don't want to listen unless it hits close to home.

[ursol]

It's easier to blame poor diet, cigarettes, and lack of exercise on our cancers rather than potentially blame things like estrogen from the pill or the hormones they have been adding to our food for years as well as the pesticides on our fruits and the radon emitting from the ground and the polution we breathe every time we step outside. Because then we can line up and start sueing alot more people.

Unfortunately it will never change.

[Barb73]

Shame, shame, shame, on that doctor.

I believe that his own fear is driving his simplistic answers to the prevention of cancers.

My niece has breast cancer . Her mother (my sister) had breast cancer. Our grandmother had breast cancer.

My husband has lung cancer. His grandfather died of lung cancer.

Do we think there might be a genetic factor involved here?

It's not a simple thing and that particular doctor contributes to the "stigma" of self blame that was considered anathema in the fight to get better treatments for HIV/AIDS.

ENOUGH!!!!!!

Barbara

[Patti B]

So when you see these heartbreaking stories about little babies having leukemia and other terrible horrible diseases - THEY BROUGHT IT ON THEMSELVES!!!! What a %%$$# quack!!!!!!

Hugs - Patti B.

[Ann]

I think this is terrible propaganda and because it's coming from a doctor's mouth makes it even worse!!! Try convincing all of us that the cancer that has touched out lives, was brought on by ourselves!!!

I think we should all write this so-called expert a letter!!!!

[ts]

But it makes good print copy.

[Maryanne]

What about the military? Especially now when the Viet Nam soldiers are now coming down with LC from Agent Orange. It is starting to catch up with them now.

This Doctor needs to be much more informed, And they ARE finding that it does nun in some families and can be genetic.

Maryanne

[Marci]

Such ingnorance about cancer!!! It drives me wild!!!! Even my mother's family are still under the assumption that if u quit smoking u will be the one not to get cancer. I am not advocating smoking but my mother's father had quit for 14 years and died from LC and my mother's brother quit for 8 years or so and died at 45 from it so it only shows that maybe there is something genetically connected between my grandfather, mother, and her brother hmmmm.. makes u wonder. Drives me crazy....

[blaze100]

Yes, this doctor is ignorant. But he will stay this way until the day when he or someone he loves gets cancer (despite doing all the right things). Then he will have a change of heart. Live and learn. Live and learn. Barb