I just had a conversation about cancer with my sister, who is a Nurse Practitioner. She has been in the oncology arena for quite a while. The bottom line is that we can do everything right and still get cancer. The misconception among many people is that those who have or had cancer must have done something to get it, like eat the wrong foods, not flossing, too much stress, etc (the list goes on). While many behaviors have risks associated with disease, and there are other behaviors that have benefits associated with health and vitality. Anyone can get cancer.

It's a challenge for anyone with a serious health issue to answer probing questions by the curious regarding lifestyle choices. A strategy that works for me is to refer the questioner (especially if it is not a family member or close friend) to this website for OC, as well as other respected sites for more information (NIH, ACS, etc). "If you are really interested in this disease then I encourage you to go to (OCF, NIH, ACS) to research more on this because you really don't know what you're talking about."

When others overstep that boundary and their questions or comments make you feel bad, angry, hurt, or misunderstood, empower yourself to take a stand.