Baseball, Apple pie and Chevrolet. Few things are as American as these institutional icons. And as our life-styles and work-styles separate us from others on this planet (creating professional and medical distinctions), cancer is one of those global characteristics that spans all countries and continents.
We’ve spoken before about the indiscriminate nature of the disease. And the size and geographic/demographic scope of this convention reinforces that concept on a global scale. I'm currently blogging you from Barcelona, Spain where I am working at the European counterpart to a recent American Cancer convention (ASCO) that I attended (professionally) and shared some insights about. This one is called: ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology). And “no” business travel is not nearly as romantic or exciting as it’s cracked up to be.
Cancer doesn't care where you live, what language you speak, or which side of the road you drive on. It comes for you and finds you no matter what corner of the world you hide/live in (how can a round planet have corners - anyway?). The fears that it generates, the families that it disrupts and the pharmaceuticals that are used to combat this scourge are the same the world over.
So perhaps there is some slight comfort in knowing that it's not just an "American" thing, it's not limited to third-world nations, and it's something that everyone on the "big blue marble" is working day and night to conquer. I've seen that evidence first hand and heard it expressed in multiple languages.
PS: A culinary note/lesson from the kitchens of Spain. Tapas = Appetizers for dinner. Aside from being a fun way to eat (like a sanctioned variety of snacks for supper), it's actually a perfect way to regulate food intake. Eat just as much as you need or want and then stop when you feel full, rather than feeling compelled to complete the mountain of food overwhelming your plate.
