Honoring the power of wagging tails at American cancer society Bark for life
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Chances are you know someone with cancer. According to the current cancer statistics published in the journal CA: A cancer Journal For Clinicians, one in every four deaths in the united states is caused by cancer. In 2013, it is estimated nearly 1.7 million people will be newly diagnosed with cancer and over 580,000 people will die from cancer. There is good news — cancer survival continues to improve. cancer survival is improving for all major cancer types, including lung, colon, breast, and prostate cancers.
Cancer is also common in dogs. data from the animal Tumor Registry in Italy showed that female dogs were three times a lot more likely to develop cancer compared with male dogs. This difference was mostly due to a much higher risk for mammary cancer in female dogs. another study using data from this registry found that:
Dogs were a lot more likely to develop tumors than cats.
Tumors in dogs may be benign or malignant. When a cat had a tumor, it was a lot more likely to be a malignant tumor than in a dog.
The risk for having a tumor was twice as high in purebred dogs and cats.
As expected, the risk for having a tumor boosted with age in both cats and dogs.
Most everyone has been touched by cancer—as a cancer survivor, a cancer survivor’s family member, or a cancer survivor’s friend. In so lots of crucial ways, dogs touch the lives of people handling cancer, easing stress, bringing cheer, and supplying a nonjudgmental listening ear. this week when Wheatie made his normal visit to the Hillman cancer Center, he was surrounded by people who needed a break from worrying about cancer and traded their anxiety for family pets and hugs. Those few minutes offer profound healing and comfort for people waiting for treatment, testing, or a doctor’s visit. research proves these observations are correct—wagging tails lift spirits and minimize discomfort at cancer centers.
This year, I’ll be joining my friends in Chino Hills, California for their annual American cancer Society’s Bark For Life. The Bark for life is a great time to honor the crucial roles our family pets have in our lives, especially when cancer hits. I’m serving as Grand Marshall for the event and am ecstatic to lead the walk. I’m looking forward to hearing lots of great stories about how people and their family pets have helped each other along their cancer journeys. If you live on the west coast, I hope to see you in Chino Hills. You can also find a Bark for life event in your area.