November is the month we seek to raise awareness for stomach, neuroendocrine, lung and pancreatic cancer.
Definition for cancer: a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.
1) The stomach cancer ribbon color is periwinkle.
Stomach cancer mostly affects older people. The average age is 68, about 60% of cases are in people 65 or older. About 27,500 cases will be diagnosed this year, affecting more men than women. Over the last 10 years, this has been decreased by 1.5% per year. The reason for this decline are not completely known.
2) The neuroendocrine tumor (NET) ribbon color is zebra stripes.
The statistics aren’t exactly known because this type of cancer often goes undiagnosed, but about 8,000 are diagnosed each year. The number of tumors being diagnosed is increasing each year. Some think it is because more medical tests are being done to look for something else and finding the NET instead. These NET tumors are cancer that begin in specialized cells called neuroendocrine cells. NET cells have traits similar to those of nerve cells and hormone-producing cells. NET can occur anywhere in the body. Most of them occur in the lungs, appendix, small intestine, rectum and pancreas. Diagnosis and treatment of NET tumors depend on the type of tumor, its location, whether it produce excess hormones, how aggressive it is and whether it has spread.
3) Lung cancer is represented by the white ribbon.
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and is also known as the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women worldwide. Each year, 218,500 people are affected by lung cancer in the United States. Out of these, 142,000 succumb to the disease. This is because lung cancer is difficult to identify and many individuals don’t experience any symptoms until the cancer has reached an advanced stage. This is the reason that you need yearly screening — especially for those who have a smoke history or have quit smoking in the last 15 years.
4) The pancreatic cancer ribbon is purple.
Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas, an organ in the abdomen that lies behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas releases enzymes that aid digestion and produces hormones that help manage your blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer is seldom detected at its early stages when it’s most curable. This is because it often doesn’t cause symptoms until after it has spread to other organs.
The ACS board meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3, at Around the Table restaurant on George Payne Cossar Boulevard in Charleston. Anyone interested in becoming a board member is welcome to attend.
Our annual bake sale will be held Saturday, Nov. 19, from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. in front of NAPA Auto Parts, located on West Main Street in Charleston.
Memorials were donated by Mrs. Lillian Morgan in memory of Jody Kellum and Daniel Fedric.
You may send donations to Rally for a Cure, P.O. Box 971, Charleston, MS 38921 or contact 662-752-9267.
Please make sure to get your screenings done yearly, for this could very well save your life. As we know, cancer never sleeps.
Prayer: Give them the courage and strength to fight another day and grant us the grace to use our pain to reach out with help and support. Dear Lord, we ask with all our hearts, please touch these special lives. Bless them with courage and hope. May all find solace in your loving embrace. Heal them in body, mind and spirit.
