Brian,

Fascinating article!

I think there is an inherent distrust of doctors and a huge distrust of 'big pharma.' How many times do we hear that the Cure to Cancer exists but is being hidden from us in order to reap the big profits from treating cancer? Not to mention this weird notion that taking a pill every day for life is a huge inconvenience or something. (When I had to take radioactive iodine to kill my thyroid as a result of Graves' disease, that was the biggest warning, that I'd have to take a pill every day - like that was some huge burden.)

People also think it won't happen to them, case in point, smoking. We all know it causes major deadly diseases and yet, I still see young people smoking! Its all I can do to not walk up and show them my tongue. But they're invincible, right?

I think there's just a huge stigma about taking drugs, supporting 'conventional' medicine, giving money to 'THE MAN' and as stated in the article, this notion that by going an holistic or natural route, we're the ones in control.

I'm going to ponder this further.

- Margaret

Stage IV SCC lt lateral tongue, surgery 5/19/08 (partial gloss/upper neck dissection left side/radial free flap reconstruction) IMRT w/weekly Cisplatin & Erbitux 6/30/08, PEG 1 6/12/08 - out 7/14 (in abdominal wall, not stomach), PEG 2 7/23/08 - out 11/20/08, Tx done 8/18/08
Second SCC tumor, Stage 1, rt mobile tongue, removed 10/18/2016, right neck dissection 12/9/2016
Third SCC tumor, diagnosed, 4/19/2108, rt submandibular mass, HPV-, IMRT w/ weekly Cisplatin, 5/9 - 6/25/2018, PEG 3 5/31/2018