The Importance of Breast Cancer Research
I was dismayed to hear that some funding for breast cancer research had been cut. It wasn’t just breast cancer, it was for all types. Deaths from cancer are actually coming down, but I don’t think that means we have won the battle. Nothing could be further from the truth. Until the day comes that every single case of breast cancer can be successfully treated, there is a need for more research, and more money to fund that research. Most types of cancer have been a mystery for as long as we have known what it is and what it can do. There were many conditions like this in the past, and those conditions are now very rare and very treatable. This is why breast cancer research is so important. We can’t give up on finding a cure if one is out there.
The most important part of any cancer research is the funding. Without money, the research cannot proceed. When you give money to a cancer charity, you are helping move the research along. It is important to remember that not all charities are created equal. You should make sure you look into each charity before you give your money. Some have very high administrative fees, and that can mean that your money is not going as far as it could. Look for the charity or research fund that gives the highest percentage of your donation directly into research. You may not know the outcome or direction of your donation, but you can find breast cancer research information online or on the nightly news. The problem with much of the information found online is that it is difficult to read unless you are in the medical profession.
There must be something good coming from breast cancer research. The American Cancer Society reports that cancer deaths have gone down for the second year in a row. This information is based on the number of cancer deaths in the years 2003, 2004, and earlier. This decline can only be attributed to all types of advances in the fight against cancer, as well as the amount of time and money that is put into that research.
As long as breast cancer research can continue, the numbers of cancer-related deaths each year can continue to go down. Perhaps there may come a day when a death from cancer will be a rare occurrence.
If you donate money to breast cancer research, and you want to know where your money is going, you may just have to ask. Though you may not always be able to get this type of information, sometimes you can. You may even want to ask before you give. Some breast cancer research goes towards exploring new medications that may help, and other research may go into understanding why cancerous cells form in the first place. There has been a lot of breast cancer research in relation to genetics. If we can understand why cancer may run in families, and how to detect the genes that may be responsible, more at-risk women can be identified. That may greatly increase their chances for survival.
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