We can now reassure the vast majority of patients with extensive disease that they will remain comfortable. If patients suffer from severe pain, they or their families must be aggressive in seeking the consultation of a pain specialist. The other myth about pain is that it is an early symptom of cancer. This myth is responsible for delays in diagnosis because many people think that if changes in their bodies are not painful, they don't need to worry. Very few cancers in their early stages produce pain, so people should not wait until something hurts before they see their doctor.
Early detection offers our best opportunity for cure or long-term control.
In fact, about half of all newly diagnosed people with cancer will be cured by currently available treatment. Indeed, today hundreds of thousands of people have already been cured and are leading normal lives. Even those people who are not cured may still carry on with little change in their lives. In this case, cancer for these people is really a chronic illness, with similarities to diabetes, for example. All of us know people with diabetes who, if they watch their diets and take their medication, lead normal lives.