You Can Survive Cancer (I Did)

By Dr. Mark Liponis Published: June 15, 2008
Read Dr. Liponis' keys to cancer prevention.

As a hard-driving young doctor, I was focused on building a secure future for my family. My parents, the children of Greek immigrants, had taught me that hard work and a strong will created the path to success, and I was intent on getting there soon. At 36, I wasn’t prepared for the detour life was about to throw at me—cancer.

Suddenly, my identity as protector and provider for my family was seriously shaken. For the first time, I experienced what it was like to feel vulnerable and anxious about the future. In light of my new diagnosis, the world seemed to turn more slowly. I cherished each breath, each moment with my wife and three young children.

Today, after 13 years and successful treatment, I can talk more easily about that period in my life. I learned a lot about cancer from being a patient. I learned that I had misconceptions about the illness, and I learned what I had to do to overcome it.

Misconception No. 1: Doctors are special
In a strange way, I thought that becoming a doctor was somehow like finding the immunity idol on Survivor—you couldn’t get the diseases you study. I was wrong, of course. Doctors can get sick just like everybody else.

In my case, I was diagnosed with an apple-sized tumor in my left kidney. Surgery to remove the kidney and the growth was advised.

Survival instincts are powerful. My first reaction was more a visceral gut feeling than a thought: “I will be OK. This will not kill me.” Maybe I was optimistic because I felt perfectly fine. I didn’t feel sick in any way.

Misconception No. 2: People with cancer always feel sick
The only ominous symptom I had was a single episode of painless, bloody urine during a late shift in the ER one night. Of course, after my diagnosis, I thought every little twitch or twinge I felt must be the cancer. But in fact my biggest new symptom was that I couldn’t sleep. Too many questions, worries, and fears about the future swam through my mind. I couldn’t wait for my doctors’ appointments to have my questions answered. I wanted to know the best way to cure my cancer. I also wanted to know how long it had been growing in my kidney.

Misconception No. 3: Cancer grows and spreads rapidly
I was quickly scheduled for surgery to remove my kidney and surrounding lymph nodes. I resigned myself to the need to try to cut out this deadly tumor. I thought about my family and job, how important my role as provider was to my identity, and I decided not to tell anyone but my wife.

I was shocked when my second question was answered: The tumor had been growing for about 15 years! Of course I did the math and was distressed to think that I could have contracted this cancer when I was only 21 years old.

Misconception No. 4: Cancer is uncommon in young people
I learned that I was not the exception but, rather, the rule. Like other diseases, cancer has its roots in youth. In fact, essentially we all are “cancer survivors.” Mutations in the DNA of any of our 100 trillion cells occur constantly in all of us, and new cancer cells are a common occurrence even in young adults.

However, these microscopic cancers almost never become lethal tumors. The primary reason is that our immune system detects them early on and snuffs them out before they have a chance to grow. In some cases, the tumors kill themselves through mutations they develop or because they lack a blood supply to sustain their growth. Only cancer cells that develop a “cloaking mechanism” to evade the immune system, or tumors that develop their own blood supply, can successfully grow into potentially lethal tumors.

Misconception No. 5: You can cure cancer only with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation
This was perhaps my most important lesson. Standard medical treatment is just one part of overcoming cancer. Surviving is a four-part process that includes treatment, healing, prevention, and life extension. But the steps many of us associate with cancer prevention (a healthy diet, exercise, proper sleep, stress management, smoking cessation, and moderation of habits) are also critical during the stages of treatment, healing, and the years that follow. I learned that these are the most effective ways of keeping microscopic cancer cells from growing into serious tumors. T

hey say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’m not sure I believe that. But perhaps what doesn’t kill you makes you smarter. I hope you can learn from my experience without having to go through a health crisis of your own.

Read Dr. Liponis' keys to cancer prevention.

Dr. Mark Liponis is the author of “Ultra-longevity” and medical director of Canyon Ranch spas.
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