Originally Posted By Inspector 57 <<Too bad we can't vaccinate against it!>> We CAN vaccinate against one form of cancer. The vaccination, if delivered to all women before they become sexually active, would eradicate cervical cancer. But some of the same people who cry over others' cancer-caused deaths, who sport the pink ribbon on every outfit, who Walk For The Cure, who rail against smoking, who agree to be neighborhood Cancer Society chairs... oppose the HPV vaccination on the basis that administering the vaccine to teens would acknowledge and therefore legitimize the fact that young people have sex before turning 18 and/or getting married. It is a horrible tragedy that Patrick Swayze will be claimed by pancreatic cancer, a cancer that seems to strike randomly, a cancer for which there is neither an effective prevention nor a cure. Kar2oonMan's father's death was tragic. My own father's premature death due to cancer was tragic. What a horrible tragedy, then, that we would pass up an opportunity to prevent needless cancer deaths because of our personal or societal squeamishness over acknowledging the sexual activity that we know will be taking place. Best wishes to Patrick Swayze. I admire him as an actor and a person.
Originally Posted By Mr X **the Chippendales bit with Chris Farley - CLASSIC!** THAT was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle >>The vaccination, if delivered to all women before they become sexually active, would eradicate cervical cancer.<< We have a vaccination that came out a couple of years ago here that's given out free to women from teenagers through to about 26 (and can then be paid for by older women) - apparently it's effective even if women are already sexually active. Pretty cool stuff! They went around my niece's school giving it out with a letter of consent from the parents. Don't know if that's the same or a different vaccination to the one you were talking about, but I'm glad they're making it available.
Originally Posted By Mrs ElderP As I understand it the HPV vaccine prevents one of the major forms of cervical cancer. There are other, much rarer, forms of cervical cancer (about 10% of all cervical cancer*) that are not caused by the virus, that can occur. And of course you just need to get the vaccine before you get the virus. The best way to ensure this is to get it before you are sexually active. Of course, even if you are sexually active already there is still a chance you haven't caught the virus yet, so it's worth an innoculation. One study said that 40% of women visiting on campus clinics were infected.* * Facts quoted from a Stanford Web site: <a href="http://virus.stanford.edu/papova/HPV.html" target="_blank">http://virus.stanford.edu/papo va/HPV.html</a>
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb My life would be so much different if my friend had that vaccine available when she was in high school. She would still be with us to brighten our lives and her husband and son would still have their wife and mother.
Originally Posted By johnno52 I think we all have had a relative or a close friend who have been taken prematurely with cancer. It is amazing how many have died so young and before they could get a chance to see their families grow. The majority of funding seems to be going towards the treatment rather than the causes. Breast cancer I believe receives the most however still like many, the causes remain unknown.
Originally Posted By rtjl72 this is really and truly so sad! i met patricks's mom many years back when she was in town to teach some dance classes.(now this is quite something as this is des moines, iowa) she was so nice and sooooo proud of her son. i hopw for the very best care for him and hope his prognosis can be all that it can possibly maximize in his quality and longevity of life.
Originally Posted By Mary Poppins I was shocked and saddened to hear of Patrick's cancer. He is one of my favourite actors.
