When you hear the word “cancer” it’s like the end of the end.  It  becomes more horrifying, when the person is a loved one who gets sucked under dark blanket of what cancer is.

To hear that science continues to make new findings about the possible sources of cancer sends people into a frenzy, turning  something as simple as ordering a drink or even food into a major research project, which is totally understandable as it is better to be safe than sorry.

As we stretch our hands into this dark abyss of the unknown, our imagination runs wild and our thoughts create monsters that are only real to us, thereby creating invisible prisons in our mind which hold us captive and invite the angel of death to the doorsteps of those who fear, fueling the alien inside with strength and energy until it evolves into this villain and overpowers the body. I’m not saying cancer  and effects are not real, I’m saying fear can and will destroy you long before the cancer does.

In my opinion , cancer has divided us into four classes of people: 

• THE IGNORANT: For these people ignorance is bliss, the warmth of their obliviousness creates this fortress where diseases are barred and can only be something that happened to “other people” hence it never concerns them and in the unfortunate event that it does, the fear of the daunting realities of cancer deals them a deathly blow than the actual disease itself. 
• THE PARANOID: These interesting set of people are the exact opposites of the first group, the knowledge of cancer becomes a cross that they carry everywhere, they are obsessed by the “enormity of the disease” this is only made worse in the instance that a family member dies from the disease, they check the contents of perfume bottles, snacks, creams …. JUST NAME IT! And they let this information haunt them as they constantly look over their shoulder, alert to the tactics of the enemy which is cancer. 
• THE GO GETTERS: These people have been able to strike a balance, sadly they are in the minority, they understand that cancer is a disease just like other diseases, they remain optimistic that “the cup is half full” and her more proactive in their approach. They are similar to the second group only in the sense that information is available to them but rather than let it haunt them it remains a learning curve for them as if helps them to leave a healthier lifestyle which helps them avoid the cancer zone as well as other diseases. 
• RELIGIOUS FOLK: These ones believe that every disease surfaced from hell and death is a way for the devil to try and punish them so they launch out a full attack on hell in the event that the illness surfaces and they pray .and fast it away wielding their faith as the one medicine that can cure all diseases. They cut across different religious groups using the bible, Quran or even voodoo as the healers in this stage. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with faith and beliefs. These people have surrendered their faith entirely to destiny without taking proactive steps.

In our quest to find a cure for cancer we forget that the real death sentence is the “fear”, the mystery behind the darkness, the fear of the “UNKNOWN”.

This fear is borne out of our perception of cancer, the images painted by the media, the fear that medical practitioners have instilled in the hearts of patients and family members.

THERE IS HOPE!!!

Not enough attention is paid to the studies showing and proving every day that it is possible to beat cancer, that statistics in the western world improve yearly on patients that go into remission.

Many years ago, malaria was perceived to be a death sentence, now people can say with boldness that their suffering from malaria as easily as they say “good morning”, what happened? The disease did not stop being deadly but a generational mind shift occurred instilling hope in the minds of people because scientists came together and declared “That they had found a cure” and so hope was announced.

But the greatest difference between these times was not just the discovery of a cure but the belief that the disease could now be defeated. It doesn’t matter anymore that yearly the United Nations produce statistics of the millions that still die from the disease because there is hope in the horizon.

The same shift needs to happen in order to defeat the fear of cancer with or without a cure, because cancer flourishes within the psychology of fear and that needs to be defeated first.

Cancer doesn’t cancel life only your mind is capable of something so powerful.

CANCER NOT CANCELLED

Dolapo Akanni