Cancer
Modern day society has been touched and deeply effected by one simple disease: Cancer. To this day, since it’s first description found in an ancient Egyptian papyri written between 3000-1500 B.C., it still has no clear cure. The before-mentioned source referred to breast tumors. The oldest recorded specimen of human cancer was found in the remains of a female skull, circa the Bronze Age (1900-1600 B.C.).
Despite what some believe, cancer is not a result of our modern industrial age. The disease may and can effect all ages, including fetuses, however, the risk for most varieties of cancer will increase with age. Most types of cancer tend to form a tumor, but some, such as leukemia, do not. The disease makes up a total of 13% of over all human deaths, with that, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), 7.6 million people died of the infamous cancer in the year 2007. The official name of the medical branch for the study of prevention, cure, and treatment of Cancer is oncology.
Carcinogens, or factors that cause cancer, include Radiation, Tobacco smoke, infectious agents, or even some chemicals. Cancer may also be formed in one’s body through DNA or genetic reasons. To the extent of being able to effect humans, cancer can effect ALL animals. The disease is notorious for being able to infect many different parts and areas of the human body. Including but not limited to, the breasts (limited to women), testicles, and the lungs. Knowing this, oncologists have to work on many different treatments for the different variants of cancer, making the hunt for the cure complicated, and very expensive. To aid that, various organizations, such as ACS, the Lance Armstrong foundation, the Walter Payton Cancer fund, Gilda’s Club, and finally the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation. All of which work on charity finds, field days, activities of the sorts. Through strict study for the cure, cancer has made large scale effects on modern day society. Hunting for the cure becomes less complicated every year with new break throughs in oncology. When that cure is finally uncovered, man-kind will have a new chapter to write in history books, for the defeat of the dreaded disease