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Cancer can strike anyone – the young or the old, the celebrity or the common man, the rich or the poor. Most people need to share their experiences to be able to cope as a patient, family or friend.

The Movie

I saw a movie that does just that on DVD. The title of the movie is 50/50. The title was based on the doctor’s verdict of survival of the characters. This means the 50 percent chance of survival and the 50 percent of death.

When you watch this movie, you’ll see and feel the awkwardness of cancer patients. They’re like thrown into the abyss of the unknown. You can feel how scared and terrified they are. Saying the C word is wrought with fear and trembling. These scenes make me remember the big secret fear of saying Voldemort in the Harry Potter series. People pretend that it isn’t there. They won’t talk about it like its taboo.

We’ll see the medical staff removed from what these patients with cancer are feeling. They act as if it is the patients’ fault why they got cancer. Nonetheless, seeing the pain and feeling the emotional anguish affects them someway. There’s the realization of a need to create a side service to support patients with cancer. We’ll see the friendship of cancer patients that lighten their days. We’ll feel how they come to support each other by feeling the same anxiety and unspoken questions. We can even conclude that love and friendship are great healers.

Then, there are the planned cancer treatments. Seriously, undergoing these need strength physically, emotionally and mentally.

I highly recommend this movie especially if you’re a cancer patient or if you’re a friend, a spouse or a family member of a cancer patient. If you’re a doctor, nurse or a medical professional it can help enlighten you on how the cancer patient feel. What are their emotional needs apart from their medications and treatment? If you’re a patient it won’t answer all your nagging questions. But it leads you to see what lies ahead. This movie deals with a serious topic with good humor and drama.

Bottom Line

Standard cancer treatment is our best chance to beat cancer. Let’s not be waylaid by claims that alternative or complementary medications can give us a miracle. These purported medications are just that – complementary and don’t work on their own. Standard cancer regimen is still the tested therapy that works. I’m talking here of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and at times hormone therapy.

We can have a fighting chance if we do our share in the battle with cancer and that is through simple changes in our lifestyle. Let’s eat 5 to 10 servings of fruits and veggies daily. Let’s not forget to exercise at least 30 minutes a day whatever the weather is. And let’s follow our doctor’s recommendations. That way, we have a better chance to beat this thing!