Cancer is as cunning as the coronavirus

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, I don’t think most of us realized that once a vaccine became available, this would not be a one-and-done process. Some of us remember the polio vaccine, which was eradicated after maiming and killing many children. Other diseases such as smallpox, shingles, pneumonia and diphtheria also gradually disappeared. Some slipped through the cracks, but most were protected.

When the vaccine arrived after brilliant scientists from all over the world were working 24/7, we celebrated and I remember saying to the pharmacist who administered the first vaccine that I had never been so happy to receive an injection in my life. As every cancer survivor knows, the fear is overwhelming for those of us with compromised immune systems, and I was relieved to be one of the first to receive treatment. I naively thought this was a magic bullet and the fear would go away. The worst seems to be over.

But COVID-19 is a sneaky snake, just like cancer. Every time we think COVID-19 has been defeated, new variants appear. Maybe we won’t get as sick, but long-term COVID and other side effects still won’t be overcome. I have myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood cancer, and I have previously written about the cancer and the mutations that occur in COVID-19 cases. I found some of the more severe variants in some of my blood tests, which we fear could be fatal. Fortunately, a new treatment called Luspatercept has been very successful so far.

Some cancers can be completely cured or NED – there is no evidence of disease. But for many of us, cancer can only be controlled, and researchers are working to give us more time. With COVID-19, some boosters may work against one variant, but another variant emerges at the same time. Equally scary, some mutations may become more powerful and lead to more cancers and new coronaviruses.

Psychologically, cancer patients suffer a double whammy, sometimes feeling like they have a ticking time bomb inside them. Most of us have learned to truly appreciate one day at a time. The coronavirus is always lurking, too. I used to take cruises every year but now I get scared. I had COVID on my last flight, so I’m wary. Over a year later I will try again. The snake was supposed to be decapitated and killed, but so far that hasn’t happened. COVID-19 and cancer are scary, unpredictable, and ever-present in our lives. But we will work hard to find treatments, get boosters, and do whatever we can to combat adverse effects. Yet, for each of us, with or without cancer, life is uncertain, and that seems to be what life is all about. We need to continue to avoid that slithering snake ready to attack us and keep it at bay.

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