Throughout history, you can find examples of strange new diseases popping up wherever a nation's population is growing a rate that the land will not be able to sustain. These diseases usually take their toll on the world, are cured, and then new ones pop up.

So, I guess my question to you is really a theological one: do you think horrible diseases like cancer and AIDS are a natural part of life? I don't really believe in God, per se, but I do believe in a certain order and balance in the world (it's impossible not to, just looking at the complex interactions between natural things in daily life). I am beginning to suspect that humanity has no long-term control over preventing horrible diseases at all.

Our current situation is perhaps the most bitterly ironic of all: not so long ago, people were dying off from things that are easily treatable with antibiotics today, like polio and measles. Not long after antibiotics to treat these diseases became mainstream, cancer, AIDS, and a whole new slew of horrors cropped up. The cures for AIDS and cancer are a ways down the line, but as we pour more and more money, time and research into finding cures, we will find them. And I suspect that shortly after we do, the greatest fear of doctors looking into the future will come true: our antibiotics will stop working. Our bodies will develop immunities to them, and the strands of viruses will mutate to compensate. Soon, we'll all be dying off from polio and measles again.

If we did find foolproof antibiotics that neither our bodies nor the viruses could mutate to compensate against, I honestly believe a plague would visit us shortly.

Sorry to sound like some sort of crazed, doomsaying cultist. It's just food for thought.

Don't worry, I know how cancer forms and one of my possible career puruits is in the feild of Biology. Or maybe the film industry, I don't know.

There was a specific type of cancer which it is supposed to prevent and it was stated in my original post. The vaccine is for cervical cancer found in women. It has, believed passed the tests neccessary for it to be put into general use by the FDA. For those of you who don't know, cervical cancer can be traced to what I believe is Genetial Worts or HPV.

P.S. Don't worry, I'm not some science geek. I just take some interest in biology and am trying to keep my career paths open.

except the fact that cancer is a very unpredicatble disease. It is formed from mutations in the chromosomes of cells, not a bacteria or other pathogen. I think someone is pulling your leg, unless it is a very specific kind of cancer. This "Cure for Cancer" is all rot, being as different kinds of cancer are totally different. It is a wrong term to group them all together, to make somekind of miricle drug.

About a week ago, I heard on the news that a cancer vaccine was created and being tested that helps prevent cervical cancer in women.

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These diseases usually take their toll on the world, are cured, and then new ones pop up.

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I agree with you aguagon in a way. No matter what cures we can find for diseases, it will never stop disease from spreading or being in existence. The farther our society expands and develops, we encounter new diseases and chemicals that kill.

not to be too pesimistic, but I think that it might not be possible to destory a lot of these diseases without a genocide. AIDS would be wiped out if everybody in the world with the disease would not have sex or share needles and stuff, and the disease would die with the last person who has it. Cancer is just an accident in the genome which causes unnatural growth, and it would be impossible to predict and prevent it from happening. We do know that cancer is handed down, but the only thing that can be done (at the moment) is tell the people to get their mamagrams and other checkups regularly. And there is no way we will be able to find an antibiotic that could kill, and not be mutated against, because one of the points of life is to "react to a stimulus." In the future, we will just have to keep finding new cures

I think that in our lives things happen for a reason. When someone's life is some how affected by a disease, whether they have it or someone they know has it, then it becomes everyone's battle around them to fight it by finding a cure if there is no known cures for it. With that being said, I think that fighting cancer should be a top priority. If it's not made a top priority than wouldn't all the people that have it, all the research, and all the medical advances toward finding a cure for it just fall by the wayside?

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So, I guess my question to you is really a theological one: do you think horrible diseases like cancer and AIDS are a natural part of life?

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hmmm...Yeah, I guess it is a natural part of life. We strive for our survival and that's just part of it. But I do believe that experiencing a disease can not only trasnform your body, but also your inside. People find strengh from I don't know where, others seem to look at life differently...anyways, I'm getting off the subject here. I do think that it is a part of life. But that doesn't mean that we should give up on trying to find cures because I said before, we fight for survival. I was born with lukemia, so that's why I started rambling about feelings...sorry to go off on another direction.

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North America as a whole is doing very well

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In 2004, cancer is sweeping more people than in 2001, and any time before that. 1,000 people in America die each day of cancer. So, sure, maybe Africa is doing worse off, but America still needs help.

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If something happens, I believe it is meant to happen.
What else can I say, it's a cold, cruel life.

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Er wow. This is kind of like my theory about how life would be easier is hospitals were eliminated altogether. It was a horrendous joke though. I think people should still be allowed a chance to live don't you think?

I do see the whole ironic situation that Aguagon mentioned though. Its because as society and lifestyles change, new diseases form and die out. Its a natural part of life. However I don't think that finding a cure for cancer will necessarily speed up an onslaught of diseases. I think that if a cure for cancer is found, it would definitely help with future diseases.

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Sorry to sound like some sort of crazed, doomsaying cultist.

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Actually, I know someone who believes that cancer is altogether a conspiracy and that the cure for cancer already exists. She believes that the government is witholding the cure though because it is a natural population shrinker and money maker. Then again she also believes that the terrorists are working with the US government...

I'm somewhat surprised. I didn't know Chile had a high life expectancy rate. And Japan. Wow.

Yeah, penguin has a point. When you look at life expentancies around the globe, you can see that North America as a whole is doing very well, while Africa is doing horribly. Japan is doing best, though.

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Originally posted by jazzeykitten:
I see what you're saying, but if you think about it, why is it that Westernized cultures suffer the most?

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Sorry if this is a bit off topic. Jazzeykitten, I agree that our obsession with cleanliness is preventing us from gaining proper immunities. I also agree that we abuse antibiotics. I do not, however, agree that "Westernised cultures suffer the most." We have control of and access to medication and decent health care. We are also educated about diseases such as AIDS. At least two-thirds of those who are HIV positve are African. Have a look at this site. It tells about the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

no, i dont think so... fighting cancer can still be cured... depends on what kind of disease or something and if its a popular one, then its easy to cure. However, if you have some kind of disease that is not so well-known, then, special doctors are needed for that, plus they still have to get research from what they diagnosed from you. Fighting cancer is not futile as there are lots of medicines and stuff to cure them now. The reason why new diseases pop up is that in this generation, there are also emerging lifestyles popping out among teens, adults and even in children. Like being promiscuous, doing anal or oral sex and stuff like those can cause not just one but many diseases and it just doesnt mean its AIDS, but you could have diseases connected with what you are now suffering.
Well, if your disease or cancer or whatever is really hopeless and doctors have no idea what it is, hope and prayer can be useful. I have heard of older and young people getting cured because of praying and not just praying but being a faithful prayer. It also pays if you believe in God. Having an illness or disease is not just the result from our environment but its also a test from God... I think, in everything we do, God is always a part of it.

Agua, you did not offend me. I understand what you mean. The statement made by someone else that cancer patients should die offended me. Thanks for your concern, though!

I'm sorry, I don't think I really brought my point across. I'm all for curing cancer, believe me, I'm just wondering if curing cancer will actually speed up the progression of the next big disease. It just seems to me that whenever we cure a serious disease, a new one pops up to take its place. It just sorta seems like a harsh circle of life type thing.

Don't get me wrong, though, I'm strongly in favor in cancer research and finding a cure. My mom is a breast cancer survivor and my dad is a prostate cancer survivor, so I'd have to be crazy not to be. And luvliney, I'm glad you came out on top too, and I'm sorry if I offended you.

" Diseases should not be cured. This may sound bitter and ruthless, but if you get cancer I believe you should die of cancer. "

Wow.. this statement hurt me a lot. I had cancer when I was five. I'm now sixteen and I feel like I've got a great shot at making a difference in the world. If everyone just gave up on cancer patients, I wouldn't be alive today. It offends me that people like you think that we don't deserve to live.

As far as a response to the original post: sure, disease is a part of life, but so is research, learning, and curing disease. We are naturally curious beings and it's in our nature to want to cure diseases like cancer. If our ancestors had given up in the past, how many of us would now have died of the flu? I would certainly hope we wouldn't give up on cancer. Visit St. Jude's and let me know if you decide those children should just die before they've had a chance to live.

ToeTrehcn, if you were diagnosed with cancer today and told that with no treatment you would die in 6th months, you would not want treatment and would be fine with dieing in 6 months?

I think we should cure diseases if we can. If we can save a life, why not? These people have families and friends, it's different than abortion which I am not against.

I don't think that large numbers of our population have to die. I think other civilizations and species ahve been wiped out because they did not have the technology and knowledge that we have today.

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do you think horrible diseases like cancer and AIDS are a natural part of life?

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...I might being going on a different track here, but I believe diseases and sickness is a part of life. Diseases should not be cured. This may sound bitter and ruthless, but if you get cancer I believe you should die of cancer. I feel it is abusing mother nature. (no god for me, proud loud atheist here) If something happens, I believe it is meant to happen.
What else can I say, it's a cold, cruel life.

I'd like to say that in no way will we die off from polio and the measles again. The only reason people died from it was because medical scientists and doctors had a lack of knowledge about health. Now, our knowledge has heightened, and we are more aware. We cannot blank out on diseases that we have already cured.

I believe once we find a cure for anything, it's there for good.