Farah Fawcett's courage in opening discussion on upsetting to discuss cancer.

[Mike 03]

You probably noticed that many news reports on her situation called it "rectal", "bowel", or "colon" cancer when it is in fact anal cancer, which I knew nothing about until I read up on it in some textbooks and online articles this week.

I wasn't shocked to learn about this cancer, but I was saddened that so many news outlets went out of their way to distort what she has. They were ashamed to just call it what it is. Indeed, it is different, and yes it sounds embarrassing to talk about. I can't think of another single celebrity who ever had the guts to come out and say, "I have anal cancer, and this is what you should know about it..."

I think that censorship only compounds the pain that she must feel, because it has been her intention to inform people about what she honestly has and what this cancer is about. Yes, it is a bit embarrassing to see that word "anus" or "anal." But I think the media should be ashamed for doing this dis-service to what she wants, which is for us to understand what she has, what it is, and what the risk factors are.

(Thank you Farrah)


http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/09/anal.cancer.fawcett/

(CNN) -- The news that one of America's TV icons is suffering from cancer brought sadness. Learning the type of cancer she had made some squeamish.

Farrah Fawcett, shown here in 2004, learned she had cancer in 2006.
Former "Charlie's Angels" actress Farrah Fawcett, 62, was hospitalized this week. She received a diagnosis of anal cancer in 2006.

This type of cancer is less common than rectal and colon cancer, and the location of the tumor and risk factors make people squeamish about discussing it openly, doctors said.

[Sparkly]

1. Yup, good for her.

K&R.

[xchrom]

2. i helped care for a woman friend who had

rectal cancer -- it wasn't fun for her.

and she had it twice -- it came back.

hpv related.

awful.

farah fawcett is remarkable for sying what cancer she has -- it has a squeamish factor indeed -- and up close and personal -- the more so.

[JeanGrey]

3. Isn't rectal the same as anal? I've followed her case and I

never got the idea anyone was embarrassed at the kind she had. I guess I'm just more open than most~!

[uppityperson]

4. No. The rectum is the final part of the large intestine, anus is opening at the end. More...

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec09/ch118/ch118i.html

The rectum is a chamber that begins at the end of the large intestine, immediately following the sigmoid colon, and ends at the anus. Ordinarily, the rectum is empty because stool is stored higher in the descending colon. Eventually, the descending colon becomes full, and stool passes into the rectum, causing an urge to move the bowels (defecate). Adults and older children can withstand this urge until they reach a bathroom. Infants and young children lack the muscle control necessary to delay bowel movement.

The anus is the opening at the far end of the digestive tract through which stool leaves the body. The anus is formed partly from the surface layers of the body, including the skin, and partly from the intestine. The anus is lined with a continuation of the external skin. A muscular ring (anal sphincter) keeps the anus closed until the person has a bowel movement.

[JeanGrey]

7. I just don't think much of the general public would know

the difference.

[JenniferJuniper]

5. I think the media's squeamishness

may stem from the fact that anal cancer is often HPV related.

You'd think they'd be over this stuff by now.

[Berry Cool]

6. Anal cancer doesn't have a pretty ribbon to increase awareness, does it?

The day when we stop treating cancers differently because of where they are located will be a great day.

Time was when no one talked about breast cancer either, but they managed to pretty it up with the damn pink ribbons and now it's so in your face you can't avoid it. If I didn't know better I'd think people thought breast cancer was PRETTY.

It's cancer. It ain't pretty.

[xchrom]

8. that this one is probably -- probably -- sexually transmitted

adds to the sqeemish factor.

we just have such a hard time with this stuff.

[Why Syzygy]

9. Technically it is "virally" transmitted.

Sex is the delivery method (possibly), but not the causative factor. Important distinction I think.

[xchrom]

10. true - other than genitalia can transmit hpv. nt

[rocktivity]

11. I'd never heard of anal cancer before now.

Its most dangerous symptom seems to be its stigma.

:(
rocktivity