megram - Index

megram - 55JulGTA - Index

Positivity and Cancer:
The other side of the coin
By Sarah Boston, DVM, DVSc, Diplomate ACVS
Astudy that came out this week said thinking
positively has no effect on survival for cancer
patients. No one wants to hear this.We want to
think that if we think positively and face this disease
bravely that we can fight it and beat it and cure it.
Lance Armstrong beat the odds because he was a
powerful athlete and because of his will to survive; or
was it because he had a potentially curable disease?
Then, in a shocking twist of fate, Cheryl Crowe got
breast cancer and survived.We expect famous people
to be survivors because they are, well, famous people.
They are larger than life and they are winners.Actually,
some famous people don’t survive cancer. They are
just not available to make an appearance on Oprah to
talk about the experience for obvious reasons.
Okay, what about the people that have succumbed
to cancer? What about my friend’s 14-year old
son who loved biking and Lance Armstrong? He got
leukemia. I thought he would survive. He faced his
multiple bouts of chemotherapy, fungal pneumonia
and ultimately, death, bravely. His acceptance that his
death was inevitable was heartbreaking. Was he just
not positive enough? Could he have fought and won,
if he had just been more optimistic? I have two friends
whose mothers died of cancer recently. Did they just
not try hard enough? Did they not have enough hope
or courage? This is the danger of thinking that our attitudes
can chart the course of our disease. It can leave
already devastated families even more devastated
because they will feel that their lost loved one may
have lacked the will to survive.
I work with cancer patients every day.One subtle
difference, my patients have four legs and fur. I am a
veterinary surgeon who has sub-specialized in surgical
oncology. I can assure you that all my patients face
their disease bravely and positively.Dogs and cats with
cancer are blessed by the fact that they don’t know
they have cancer.All they know about is their quality
of life.They don’t feel the doom, gloom and fear that
their owners do when they are diagnosed.They don’t
worry about death.They don’t worry about losing a
leg or about chemotherapy. They really just worry
about feeling loved and comfortable and continuing
July/August 2008 • 66 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
with normal life as much as possible.They live for the
moment and find joy in everyday things.We can learn
from this.
How we face cancer as patients and families is
really just a reflection of how we face the ups and
downs of life. Obviously, cancer is a major down, but
our attitude towards diagnosis and treatment will
make a major difference to our quality of life.As a family
member or friend to someone with cancer,our attitude
towards them will have a major impact on their
enjoyment of life. For my patients, quality of life is
everything. Unfortunately, blissful ignorance is not an
option for human cancer patients.
All cancer patients are heroes to me. It doesn’t
matter if they are canine, feline or human. It doesn’t
matter if they win or lose. Unfortunately, I have
recently had to add my mother to this list of heroes,
as she was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She is
brave and positive and dignified about her disease.
Maybe we need to redefine what it means to win or
lose with cancer. All cancers are not created equal.
Even within one type of cancer, sometimes it is treatable
and sometimes it is not, despite the best efforts
of doctors and patients. Sometimes, life and cancer
deal you a bad hand.How you play your cards may be
more important than anything.
Dr.Boston is on the faculty of Veterinary Medicine at
the University of Guelph.Her mother is Iris Winston.