Great explanation of what “cancer” is and means. In addition to many cancers not being diagnosed in the past, there was also shame in talking about cancer. My great-grandmother died from breast cancer in the 1930s. The family told people a horse bit her. She died at home when my grandpa was still a kid. His dad would take the kids to the tavern to get a break from hearing their mom in pain because all they had to give her was aspirin. So many back-in-the-day stories I grew up hearing from older generations sounded horribly hard and sad. Thanks for sharing this perspective.
Great explanation of what “cancer” is and means. In addition to many cancers not being diagnosed in the past, there was also shame in talking about cancer. My great-grandmother died from breast cancer in the 1930s. The family told people a horse bit her. She died at home when my grandpa was still a kid. His dad would take the kids to the tavern to get a break from hearing their mom in pain because all they had to give her was aspirin. So many back-in-the-day stories I grew up hearing from older generations sounded horribly hard and sad. Thanks for sharing this perspective.