Forums → WEPR → What worst AIDS or Cancer

Are you SERIOUS!?!?! Not another on of these ahhhh!

I will still answer though. Like I have said on all of the other "worse" threads, I want you to define what worse really means. It can mean worse for your health, worse as in death rate, etc.

Cancer does cause more deaths worldwide, but if you think about it, there are many different kinds of cancers, so of course cancer would thin the herd more than AIDS. If you were talking about STDs all together, it would be a different story, but please define what you mean by worse.

The amount of information about cancer and AIDS that's available in print and online can be overwhelming. It's easy to become confused about the differences between the two diseases. This brief article defines key terms, examines the differences between cancer and AIDS prevention and treatment, and explains how patients can benefit from massage.

Not every person who is HIV-positive contracts AIDS. They may be carriers only and never exhibit any symptoms. Having AIDS is no longer a death sentence. It is now considered a chronic condition. Not all people with AIDS contract Kaposi's Sarcoma. And, unless a person with cancer has been exposed to HIV, they will not contract AIDS.

Treatment
Cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy (intravenous or oral), radiation, alternative therapies: chelation, diet, herbs, supplements, Eastern modalities.
AIDS. Drug therapy, alternative therapies, as above.
Touch Aspect
Cancer. I see no fear associated with touching a person with cancer. The fear of the massage profession is in possibly spreading the disease. Some massage schools teach students to not give a massage to someone with cancer. This may be taught as there is a lack of knowledge and education on what cancer is, and how it is spread. This is why so many articles and books are now available to the massage therapy profession. I do agree that a deep or Swedish massage as taught in school is a contraindication. The body may find it difficult to process an abundance of toxins due to chemotherapy and numerous other drugs. A deep massage will only add to that overload and place the person in an ill situation. Tissue and capillary damage are possible during chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The proper touch is a way to boost the immune system by increasing killer T-cells, reduce pain by releasing endomorphism and providing quality of life with a loving, nurturing, safe touch. It is important for the therapist to maintain a comfort level. Fear and anxiety are transmitted by the hands.
AIDS. People with AIDS are not as readily touched, as people with cancer are touched. The fear of contagion looms on. Many massage therapists have voiced an opinion on jeopardizing their practise in fear of their well clients finding out that they see AIDS clients in their office. This is a real issue morally, physically and legally. It is illegal to refuse care, especially to someone with AIDS. If you choose not see a person with AIDS, refer them to another therapist. Please be certain that you know of a colleague who will work with the AIDS person beforehand.
When speaking to this person, it is important to determine what their physical status is regarding infections, limitations and what other aspects of the syndrome they exhibit. In both the care of AIDS and cancer, a doctor's note is advisable. In some cases, a medical history should be provided.

The issue of wearing gloves while massaging an AIDS patient is constantly being debated. Since I understand how the HIV virus is contracted, I do not use gloves during a massage session. When a suspicious lesion appears, I would provide gentle energy work rather than massage the area. If the client requests that I wear gloves, I honour their request. When in doubt, use your own judgement. Skin-to-skin touch is most needed by AIDS patients, since they have been deemed "untouchable." Repeating the general benefits of massage here, is unnecessary. However, recent scientific studies have demonstrated that massage increases T-cell counts.

Whether your client has cancer or AIDS, you are touching more than the body you are also touching his or her soul.

Internal Quiet
Cancer. Since no one knows the cause of cancer, self-blame is not a factor. However, people who smoked may carry guilt as the cause of their illness. There are also people who feel that their behaviour toward themselves or others is a contributing factor.
AIDS. Self-blame as to past lifestyle is a major factor in patients with AIDS, especially if the disease was contracted via sexual contact or intravenous drug use. People who have contracted the virus unknowingly, such as through a blood transfusion, carry a great deal of anger.

Fear Of Exposure
Cancer. As a commonly accepted illness, there is universal support on every aspect.
AIDS. Upon diagnosis, isolation, rejection and abandonment by friends and family may occur. The strength of people with AIDS has been in the bonding and joining together of the AIDS community.

Prevention
Cancer. Awareness and education, lifestyle change, diet, exercise, massage, self-examination, stress reduction, a toxic-free environment, routine physical examination, and knowledge of family history.
AIDS. Awareness and education, lifestyle change, protected safe sex, exercise, massage, stress reduction, and good medical management.

Common Ground-
Cancer and AIDS

1. Neither are spread by hugging, massages, door handles, toilet seats, water fountains, drinking glasses, hot tubs or telephones.
2. Psychological trauma, fear enters and deep emotional feeling arise. Fear of pain, death and the unknown.
3. All need to be touched.
4. Both respond well to massage and bodywork. In acute phases, which include chemotherapy, radiation and fever, massage must be modified to light, slow touch, with a possible shorter time frame. If massage is not indicated, as with a fever or skin sensitivity, therapeutic touch, reiki, polarity, etc. are ideally suited for this time. A good massage session should included a bit of energy work. Massage therapists who have not had any training in energy work, would benefit from learning such modalities.
5. Reconnects the body. People with cancer and AIDS relate that they feel "disconnected." This may be due to a lack of touch, poor self-image or having a body part removed through surgery. Touch seems to bring it all together. A light touch also moves chi or energy through the body. The body and the its organs are energized without moving body fluids.
6. Psychological trauma does not have to be physical. Any loss which evokes pain, suffering, or sadness is a trauma, and has a definite effect on the immune system, as well as the body.

Physical Symptoms And Complaints
Cancer. Physical scarring from testing and/or surgery. Nausea and/or vomiting, hair loss, constipation, bloating and gas, edema/lymphoma or steroids, mouth sores, sensitivity to odours, food preference changes, bruises easily, dry skin, general itching, vaginal itching, tightness on scar tissue from surgery, numbness and tingling, headaches, lack of appetite, fatigue, change in sleep patterns, change in sex life, muscle aches and pains, inflammation of chemotherapy sites, and radiation burn and radioermatitis.
AIDS. Lowered resistance to infection, loss of appetite, flu-like symptoms, unexplained weight loss, GI disturbances, chronic low-grade fever, perspiration, chronic fatigue and weakness, severe diarrhoea, persistent mouth sores and ulcers, chronic cough and other respiratory symptoms. As the condition worsens, there are changes in mentality, vision, etc.

Techniques
Regardless of technique, remember your intent. Healing, fixing and curing should not be the focus. Caring, touching, nurturing, loving and supporting, and being present are the most important qualities.
Cancer. Modification is necessary in the acute phase. Intention is to relax, restore, nurture and support. The degree of pressure is from deep to shallow, the speed becomes slow and definitive in movement to allow the parasympathetic nervous system to replace the sympathetic nervous system, and the length of a session may vary. As the client completes treatment, techniques may be increased.
AIDS. Any modality is appropriate and is adjusted at the client's tolerance. Acupuncture and shiatsu work very well. There's more latitude since the virus doesn't have the same impact as cancer, especially in the remission stage.

Each client will present themselves completely different. No two will be alike. Each person arrives with their own set of baggage. It is important to honour where they are, not be judgemental and assist them in their healing process. What works for one client will not work for another. There is a definite advantage to knowing a variety of modalities to be ready for any client and be able to adapt to their individual needs. It is not necessary to be an expert to everything. And as much as you touch the person with cancer and AIDS, they will "touch" you as well.

By worst I mean something that bring you down faster and kills you without a fighting chance.

Jheybuz Crunch, Wittman. I was almost certain that that post was copy-pasted. In fact, before I checked, I had this message ready:

"You have mastered the art of copy pasting. I appreciate how you are trying to show your expertise, but it's just not necessary."

Now, a message to EL_Dyablo_666, if you want to make a 'what's worse' thread, then please be specific. Otherwise people like Wittman might feel obligated to make a post about every little detail on the subject.

I'm sure having AIDS might affect your social life, while having cancer will only gain you sympathy... so there's one thing.

Oh heavens, Wittman, maybe I'm seeing all these at once, but not again!

This time, half the information in that post wasn't even relevant to the question D: Specifically the parts about dispelling myths regarding contagion and the psychosocial aspects, which do not serve as a comparative analysis, which is essentially what the question was asking.

Now that Dyablo's reframed the question, the answer is, in general, AIDS, given that there are no real curative treatments available, and the current treatments are either palliative or have other debilitating side-effects. Cancer, at least some forms, can be 'cured' or at least well managed.

Note that HIV (of which AIDS is the end result) is currently ranked somewhere in the 20s by Disability Adjusted Life Years, but is projected to rise to about 10 in the coming years. This is a staggering rise which, off the top of my head, I'm going to attribute to not only a resurgence of the condition in first world countries, but the difficulties faced in navigating social circumstances in countries like Africa, that serve to spread the disease like a fire through a forest on a dry windy day.

Side note: if you want to check the actual burdens of disease by various statistical measures, you can check here. The World Health Organisation is the world authority on such estimates worldwide.

So, I just felt like writing about some things of Aids and cancer. I didn't answer the question, I know that, but I was trying to inform everybody about these to horrible things.

AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH


There are already so many topics on these things i can't believe that there is another one.

BLOCK IT BLOCK IT BLOCK IT

@ Skyla:

Actually, having cancer does affect your social life. A lot of people may give you sympathy, but others still won't know how the heck to deal with you. Patients often report to me (in a clinical setting) that they lose their friends as soon as they reveal they have cancer. It's just a huge buzzword with a big PANIC button slapped on it.

Just like AIDS, cancer therefore tends to move those who have it into a whole separate social circle- one comprising entirely of cancer sufferers. They're disenfranchised in a similar manner to those who suffer from AIDS, not least from (to make Wittman's post relevant), the kind of paranoid misconceptions that surround cancer as well as AIDS.

I'm suprised ya'll are answering an unanswerable question...Whats Worst:Aids, Cancer, or aoijg'ikoljbniojerio...shooot hit a road block with the topic.
lol. Just kidding. Couldn't resist.

So, I just felt like writing about some things of Aids and cancer. I didn't answer the question, I know that, but I was trying to inform everybody about these to horrible things.

Cancer (medical term: malignant neoplasm) is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display the traits of uncontrolled growth (growth and division beyond the normal limits), invasion (intrusion on and destruction of adjacent tissues), and sometimes metastasis (spread to other locations in the body via lymph or blood). These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize. Most cancers form a tumor but some, like leukemia, do not. Cancer may affect people at all ages, even fetuses, but risk for the more common varieties tends to increase with age. Cancer causes about 13% of all deaths. According to the American Cancer Society, 7.6 million people died from cancer in the world during 2007. Cancers can affect other animals besides humans, and plants, too. Nearly all cancers are caused by abnormalities in the genetic material of the transformed cells. These abnormalities may be due to the effects of carcinogens, such as tobacco smoke, radiation, chemicals, or infectious agents. Other cancer-promoting genetic abnormalities may be randomly acquired through errors in DNA replication, or are inherited, and thus present in all cells from birth. Complex interactions between carcinogens and the host genome may explain why only some develop cancer after exposure to a known carcinogen. New aspects of the genetics of cancer pathogenesis, such as DNA methylation, and microRNAs are increasingly being recognized as important. Genetic abnormalities found in cancer typically affect two general classes of genes. Cancer-promoting oncogenes are often activated in cancer cells, giving those cells new properties, such as hyperactive growth and division, protection against programmed cell death, loss of respect for normal tissue boundaries, and the ability to become established in diverse tissue environments. Tumor suppressor genes are often inactivated in cancer cells, resulting in the loss of normal functions in those cells, such as accurate DNA replication, control over the cell cycle, orientation and adhesion within tissues, and interaction with protective cells of the immune system. Cancer is usually classified according to the tissue from which the cancerous cells originate, the primary tumor, as well as the normal cell type they most resemble. These are location and histology, respectively. A definitive diagnosis usually requires the histologic examination of a tissue biopsy specimen by a pathologist, although the initial indication of malignancy can be symptoms or radiographic imaging abnormalities. Most cancers can be treated and some cured, depending on the specific type, location, and stage. Once diagnosed, cancer is usually treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As research develops, treatments are becoming more specific for different varieties of cancer. There has been significant progress in the development of targeted therapy drugs that act specifically on detectable molecular abnormalities in certain tumors, and which minimize damage to normal cells. The prognosis of cancer patients is most influenced by the type of cancer, as well as the stage, or extent of the disease. In addition, histologic grading and the presence of specific molecular markers can also be useful in establishing prognosis, as well as in determining individual treatments.





Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a set of symptoms and infections resulting from the damage to the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This condition progressively reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. HIV is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the bloodstream with a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, preseminal fluid, and breast milk. This transmission can involve anal, vaginal or oral sex, blood transfusion, contaminated hypodermic needles, exchange between mother and baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding, or other exposure to one of the above bodily fluids. AIDS is now a pandemic. In 2007, an estimated 33.2 million people lived with the disease worldwide, and it killed an estimated 2.1 million people, including 330,000 children. Over three-quarters of these deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and destroying human capital. Most researchers believe that HIV originated in sub-Saharan Africa during the twentieth century. The disease was first identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1981 and its cause identified by American and French scientists in the late 1980s. Although treatments for AIDS and HIV can slow the course of the disease, there is currently no vaccine or cure. Antiretroviral treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, but these drugs are expensive and routine access to antiretroviral medication is not available in all countries.[9] Due to the difficulty in treating HIV infection, preventing infection is a key aim in controlling the AIDS epidemic, with health organizations promoting safe sex and needle-exchange programmes in attempts to slow the spread of the virus.


YOU tell me which s worse

Oh for the love of god...

I just finished telling Wittman about the ills of blatant plagarism and infringement of fair-use policy, and here YOU come posting wholesale from here and here respectively.

Is this some kind of campaign to piss me off? Seriously. Get a clue.

Now I feel the unexplainable urge to quote a source without citing it...odd.

Either way this question is unanswerable without first defining worse (socially, health wise, life expectancy, chance of death in x years) and so on as well as giving a type of cancer as there are so many to choose from and some are very minor while other are death sentences.

Cancer is worse there's all different types that can happen from anything and your life is on the line but AIDS is bad as well so try avoiding getting it or other diseases

Plagarism > AIDS > Cancer

Seriously, though, I'd rather have cancer than AIDS, Wittman's plagarized article (I didn't read the whole thing) talked about how massage is important for AIDS patients because they have been deemed untouchable... I think that the suffering attached to a social stigma like that would be way worse than the one attached to cancer. Also, I don't like being careful, and I think that AIDS patients have to be very careful not to do anything to challenge their immune system while cancer patients, who also become extremely fragile (especially with chemotherapy) don't have to fear as much from making the wrong choices; there is more effective treatment available to cancer patients and the decline of their health is more steady and predictable while people aren't afraid to touch them for fear of contagions... it seems like a better way to die.

But both would still obviously incur a lot of suffering! I am a proponent of euthanasia under circumstances where someone 1) is suffering needlessly and 2) doesn't want to continue living.