Does having cancer mean a countdown to life? Of course not. As early as 2006, the World Health Organization suggested that cancer is actually a chronic disease that can be managed. Since then, various authoritative organizations have also taken cancer out of the category of “incurable diseases”. It is not impossible to coexist with cancer cells. The human body is like a “cellular state”, with an adult body consisting of nearly one thousand trillion cells. Under normal circumstances, most of the cells are able to follow the rules and do their own work. However, when faced with adverse external stimuli, normal cells may turn into cancer cells. The presence of cancer cells does not mean that you will soon develop cancer because the human body also has its own protective force, namely the immune system. A healthy and strong immune system will recognize and destroy cancer cells quickly after they arise, so that they have no chance to continue to divide and develop into cancer. The process of mutation and antimutation of cells in this way takes place in the body almost every moment. So it is possible that a certain number of cancer cells may have existed in the body of a healthy person, only that the immune system has removed it quickly. If you are unfortunate enough to have cancer, it is usually due to what is known as “tumor immune escape”. For example, due to the influence of virus, mold, radiation and chemical carcinogen, the immune system is suppressed and cannot perform its monitoring and removal function properly, so the cancer cells can escape from the “siege” and divide and grow wildly until the number exceeds tens of millions, then the “cancer foci” can really appear in the body. cancer foci” will be revealed on the body until the number exceeds tens of millions. In addition to immune suppression caused by external factors and mental factors, problems in our own bioregulation and immune microenvironment can lead to immune tolerance, and aging of the immune system can lead to the escape of cancer cells. This is one of the important reasons why the cancer rate of the elderly is higher than that of the young. It cannot be cured, but it can be controlled Although they are both chronic diseases, there is a great difference in the degree of fear of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Most people can take the former with a grain of salt, while the latter is almost unacceptable. This is mainly because people still have insufficient knowledge about cancer. Cancer has the characteristics of a chronic disease with a long latent period. Coupled with the effective control of cancer by modern treatment methods, the survival period of patients is greatly extended. As a result, most cancers are slow to come, slow to deteriorate and slow to die. Usually, it takes at least 2~3 years, or even 5 or 10 years, from the initial cell mutation to the detection of symptoms. During the long “latent” process, modern medical advances have given people more opportunities to achieve early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of tumors. In fact, what has a greater negative impact on the progress of the disease is the attitude of people towards cancer. It has been said, “Many cancer patients die of fright.” Although medical science cannot draw the above conclusion, to some extent, there is some truth in this statement. After being diagnosed with cancer, some people are stressed out, do not eat well, do not sleep well, and even develop depression, which naturally makes it difficult to obtain good treatment effect; some patients seem to pay attention to it, but they panic and seek medical help when they are sick or listen to biased beliefs, look up information on the Internet, search for all kinds of miracle medicine, and use the wrong method, but accelerate the deterioration of their condition. Many people use the example of Chen Xiaoxu, an actress in China, and Angelina Jolie, an American actress, as a comparison. Facing the same breast cancer, Chen Xiaoxu chose to give up scientific treatment and turned to Buddhist practice, which eventually led to her incurable death; Jolie, on the other hand, actively used genetic testing to predict her chances of breast cancer and resolutely removed her breast to prevent the disease before it happened. It can be seen that a rational attitude towards cancer should be: neither to listen to the wrong doctors nor to give up the treatment with discouragement. According to the World Health Organization, as a chronic disease, 1/3 of cancer can be prevented, 1/3 can be cured through early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment, and 1/3 cannot be cured, but can be controlled through appropriate treatment to obtain a better quality of life and prolong survival. Make cancer a manageable chronic disease The World Health Organization reports that about 30% of cancer deaths are caused by five major risk factors: high body mass index, low intake of fruits and vegetables, lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption. Some cancers can be avoided if these causes are avoided as much as possible. If you are unfortunate enough to be “trapped” and not detected early, it is a better choice to live with cancer. It is important to emphasize that “living with cancer” is not about not treating cancer, but about adjusting oneself as much as possible to return to a relatively normal life based on active cooperation with doctors. An article on the American Cancer Society website specifically discusses how to survive with cancer. First, find out which cancers may need to face this situation, such as ovarian cancer after undergoing treatment, chronic leukemia, some lymphomas, etc. Second, find out what is “normal” for living with cancer. Your “normal state” should include some changes, such as eating less, not doing some activities, readjusting your work rhythm, and taking medication as part of your daily life. Finally, try the following methods to adjust your mood, overcome your fears, and live peacefully with cancer: Talk about your fears. Find a trusted friend and open up your heart. Research confirms that simply speaking out about bad anger, fear, etc. can help to relieve such bad feelings. Do the things you wanted to do in the past but didn’t do. Many people have dreams of doing something they want to do but struggle to find the time to do it, so it’s a good idea to start implementing it and divert your attention from cancer. Go to work with a positive attitude. But don’t force yourself to always be optimistic, because no one can be that way all the time. While being positive, leave yourself time to have a little meltdown. Spend more energy on making some healthy changes. For example, while you quit smoking, you should also persuade your friends around you who smoke to quit. Exercise. Ask your doctor what exercises you can do, and then actively follow through. Mindfulness is especially important when living with cancer. As Marisol, who had ovarian cancer for 12 years, said, “Cancer is now a part of my life and I am always hopeful.”