My first encounter with cancer was when I first found out my aunt had it. There are certain things you have a hard time forgetting, and I have never forgotten the moment my mom told me my aunt had cancer. I didn’t know much about it at the time, but I knew it killed people and I was in shock to know this disease had reached my family. After months of chemotherapy she was told it had left her body, only to find out not too long after that it had returned, and this time she did not survive it. I watched my aunt get weaker and more fragile as time went on. This beautiful woman was slipping away from the world and all we could do was watch. She was intelligent, kind, caring, and beautiful, but cancer killed her anyways.

In 2012, 14 million people were diagnosed with cancer, and 8.2 million deaths were direct causes of cancer. It is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world, and even children aren’t safe from it. I haven’t met a single person who hasn’t been affected by cancer in some way.

I know many people who have had cancer scares. The distress of finding a lump and rushing to the hospital to see if its cancerous or not, and waiting for the results is a draining process. You begin to think of the ways your life will change and what you did wrong with your diet or lifestyle for this to happen. The truth is, it can happen to anyone under any circumstances. It can touch any age, race, and gender and there may not be a single explanation for it. This disease is a killer, and although the cancer rates have decreased in the last five years, it is still killing.

October is breast cancer awareness month so I urge everyone; yes guys too, to check often for lumps. Although there are many other forms of cancer, you can still check for breast cancer on your own. If you find any suspicious lumps go to the doctor and check it out. It might simply be a cyst, or it may not, but it is important to check. Continue to support organizations that are looking for cures, and although it may not happen in my lifetime I truly hope that one day we find a solution. This serial killer needs to be stopped and I hope some day soon it is.