Sometimes its really hard to explain cancer to people - and its not only children who need it spelled out in simple terms..
This is an excerpt from Richard Wildmans wonderful radio segment "The Adventures of Chemoman". I've put the link to it at the bottom.
One day, an innocent, happy little cell, lets call him Joe, is happily doing his thing. All seems well, but what Joe doesn't know is that something has happened to his DNA.
The DNA is like a set of instructions for how to make a new copy of a cell. They all have 'em. So, anyway, Joe doesn't know, but his DNA has become damaged. It's like some of the instructions have been lost or changed. Now Joe reports in for copying. This is where new copies of him are made, based on his DNA. Blissfully aware that his DNA instructions contain errors, he happily sets to work creating the next batch of Joe cells. He finishes this and blammo, cancer!
Well, you see, there are certain things that make an evil, stinking cancer cell different from an innocent, hard working, normal cell.
Firstly, they don't die when they are suppose to. They just try and live forever. Second, they don't make a sensible number of copies of themselves, they keep on cranking out more and more, faster and faster.
Finally, they don't stay where they are suppose to, they go and invade the homes of other cells. Now, that is just rude.
Everything that a cell does is determined by his DNA, his instructions, Okay? So, if Joe makes a copy of himself and the DNA is not right, then his copy, lets call him Joe2, may not do what he is meant to. If the right instructions are messed up, then what you have is cancer. Joe2 arrives on
the scene. Joe and the rest of his body recognise Joe2 as being one of them, but Joe2 isn't interested in doing an honest days work and striving to make the body a better place to love. No. He he is bad. He has darker thoughts and goals. He wants to multiply, invade and live forever.
Usually, Joe2 and his rapidly copied buddies keep themselves to themselves, all hidden away, growing and copying. Smug and confident that no one knows they're there. Every so often, one of them may leave the group and go out to set up his own little group elsewhere, thus spreading the cancer around. When cancer starts getting cocky and effecting the cells around it, the bodies owner may start to notice. Sometimes it'll be a pain or a cough that won't go or a lymph node swelling up and not going down. Cancer always gets greedy and gives away its position.
from The Adventures of Chemoman, by Richard Wildman.
Please do go and look at his blog. Its updated now by his wonderful wife and I can't stop a tear running down my cheek everytime I go over to it.
I felt compelled to share this snippet and hope you pass it on to anyone who may need it.
