Effects of Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy Throughout my life I have had to deal with people I love very much who are suffering from a cancer. When I was 10, I lost my father to cancer. This was a devastating blow to my life, even though I was young and didn't really understand what was happening, the impact it had on me made me think about the point of living. Over time, many people who played a special role in my life have died from cancer, and many have survived and fought this dangerous disease. Just a year ago, another person who mattered to me told me she had cancer, and that was my mother. The first thing I thought about was death, and how I was going to deal with it. My mother always taught me to think positively before thinking negatively, but the word cancer brings to mind death, because it is a fatal disease. Eventually, my mother overcame the disease and is doing well, despite some things she can no longer do due to the effects of radiation. The radiation hasn't changed my mother at all, but it has made her a wiser person and she is not ashamed to tell her story to anyone. Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Cancer is caused by both external and internal factors. “More than 175,000 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 1999, and approximately 44,000 of them died from the disease” (Kasper and Ferguson 1). Many people eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber can reduce the occurrence of certain forms of cancer. “Statistically, about 547,000 people will die from cancer” (Cook 5). This represents nearly 1,500 people who will die every day. “In the United States, rupture...... middle of paper ......my suicide. Most people can't stand the fact that they can't return to their normal lives. Some people don't admit the guilt, resentment, or anger they feel. Family is a good source to turn to to talk about your feelings and how to cope with the problems you are facing. In addition to family, religion is a force to turn to. “There has been a steady increase in the cancer death rate in the United States over the past half century” (Cook 5). The future of cancer has no other way than to progress. With all the treatments that have helped people beat this dangerous disease, there will never be a cure for cancer, and if there is, we will simply be left hanging. Many people survive and fight the disease, but 1 in 10 people who beat the disease will experience the disease again, perhaps in the same form, but often at a more severe stage..