Besides this, his cancer was caught in the later stages after it had already metastasized. He had a couple of things going against him back then. However, there is no doubt that had he faced this problem today, he would still be alive. That, alone, just goes to show you how much cancer research has been done over the last several decades.

Years after my grandfather's death, my grandmother discovered that she had a lump in her breast. When she went to the doctor, they determined that she did, in fact, have breast cancer in the one breast and immediately gave her a short round of radiation while removing the cancer from her body. Now, at almost 80 years old, she is alive and well. But, would this have been the case if she had had this problem decades ago? I shudder to think about it.

Nowadays, there are so many more options for those who receive a diagnosis that finding out you have cancer doesn't necessarily have to be something that throws you completely off your normal, day-to-day routine. Look at someone like celebrity, Patrick Swayze. Before his untimely death due to pancreatic cancer, he never once let his cancer diagnosis hinder him from doing what he wanted. Right up to the end, he was still fighting for a cure for cancer as well as fighting to raise awareness for more cancer research so that others behind him might one day have a better chance at treatment as well as a cure. Currently, there is no cure for pancreatic cancer. And this is just one of many other rare types of cancers that is often terminal due to lack of research.

Making a difference in increasing cancer research stems mostly from funding. Research for cancer is often expensive and intense, requiring the use of many technical tools as well as expertise from those who have spent countless hours studying medical journals and conducting independent experiments. Therefore, much of the effort comes from fundraising that is done by everyday people like you and me. Something as small as purchasing a pink or purple ribbon key chain to raise cancer awareness among others counts because monies from the purchases you make and fundraising efforts you bring in goes towards one day finding a cure for cancer.