Editorial: We need to push for a cure for cancer just like we did for COVID-19

In this past year, we have heard the constant phrase of “trust the science.” I am a believer, and that science is real. It takes very smart people to conduct studies and do research. Science was not my favorite subject in school, however, I started to get more and more interested when I saw the benefits of it once I got to middle school, high school, and then eventually in college.

Throughout this pandemic, we have been told to trust the science. The vaccine has worked for some and has been fatal for others. We are told that this “miracle” vaccine came into existence in only a year. This is great because this shows how fast science can advance. Now, the question is if it’s true or has this vaccine been in development for years? We really do not have the answer and I am not here to talk about conspiracy theories.

I say all of this because COVID-19 has been deadly. As of this writing, there has been 611,000 deaths from the disease. While this still falls short of the estimated 675,000 we were supposed to have at this time, it’s the most since our last major pandemic in 1919.

But did you know that in 2020, an estimated 606,508 people died from cancer in the United States? This is a single year’s figure.

My point is that the virus is scary, but it cannot be the end all. We are so focused on it that people are forgetting that other health issues matter. We must keep pushing scientists to come up with better solutions to end cancer. We must start getting angry just as much as we did when we hear about the virus. We need that same energy with cancer.

I am sick of going online and seeing people who were once healthy and vibrant now going through so much because of cancer.

Science works, but it needs to work for the families who have to deal with losing loved ones. We need to start asking more tough questions.

It’s a pandemic amongst us and it needs to be addressed more. The commercials I see about fighting and defeating cancer are motivational and inspirational. However, we need to start seeing more urgency about curing this awful disease that continues to destroy communities across our nation.