29 Nov 2004 my brother Mark died of adenoid cystic carcinoma; i.e. the salivary glands (parotid). He never smoked or used tobacco products & from all outwardly views, should never have contracted this KILLER. There had been delays in his diagnosis due to confusion that it was TMJ or another bone or muscle-related problem.By the time it was finally diagnosed as cancer during the summer of '03, he was forced to take Oxycontin for pain management even though treatment for the cancer itself had not even begun. Following surgery & radiation treatments, he tried to resume his normal life as best as he could--but X-rays showed that the disease had spread to his lungs. What followed was a series of months that "Hope & Optimism" could not change: a dramatic decline in health as the Iron Hand of Cancer tightened its grip. This having been said, I stress to anyone reading this that attention HAS to be paid to pains that one experiences & NOT brush them off as being trivial. Once pain comes, it signals that the cancer has MOST LIKELY already spread. That being accepted; accept this as well: that, in ALL LIKELIHOOD, there is little more that medicine as we know it in 2005 can do for you. I strongly believe that the chemotherapy (Iressa and then a standard Lung Cancer chemo regimen) he received hastened his death. I believe with ALL my heart that had he chosen to simply invest in a strong physical regimen (running...& whatever)that he could have held out longer. I believe that cancer does not fare as well in sunlight, with a diet strong in cancer fighting fruits & vegetables; but that cancer THRIVES when a patient is bedridden or sedentary. Remember, your life is YOURS & YOURS ALONE. That once you're gone you're family will have to deal with that FOREVER. If you've been given a terminal diagnosis, THINK HARD before further treatment is undergone. Maximize your time here--NONE of us will be back.

Peace & the Grace of God be with us all--we don't know how much we need it until it's too late.