Lemons. The Cure To Cancer.

Oh, you didn't hear? Yeah, lemons cure cancer now. As another PINKtober draws to a close, here is a two-time breast cancer survivor's real talk.

Look, I get it.

Your friend or loved one is facing cancer and you want to be helpful because the whole situation feels pretty...helpless.

And then you see it- a bonafide article on the interwebs that says (insert miracle food here) has been proven to cure cancer.

So you do what any good friend would do and send it to your friend that's just been diagnosed/ going through treatment/ about to get surgery, etc.

Stop it. Just stop.

As a two time breast cancer survivor, I can tell you that I understand your intentions are sweet and in the right place. But I can also tell you that you are about one of six trillion people that have forwarded similar articles to your friend. And it's driving them insane.

The fact is, we still do not have a cure for cancer.

I know, bummer.

Many of these 'studies' that you see in these online articles take place in a petri dish. Petri dishes are a little different than the human body. I could take 99% of diseases and viruses and kill them with bleach in a Petri dish, but if I drank bleach, I'd have a different turnout entirely.

You cannot cure cancer (not yet, anyway).

You cannot prevent cancer.

Healthy people get cancer.

People that eat clean and exercise get cancer.

1 in 2 women get cancer.

1 in 3 men get cancer.

The only thing you CAN do is DETECT cancer, and hopefully catch it early.

Early stage cancers are more treatable and have higher survival rates, so touch yourself (do your self exams) and do it often.

The more familiar you are with your body, the more quickly you will know the second something is off.

So, in conclusion: Green Tea, Lemons, Asparagus, Broccoli, or Magical fruits harvested from the shorelines of remote unicorn islands DO NOT CURE CANCER.

Your best and only defense is to know your family history and know your body.

This is what real cancer 'awareness' is.

Now, please go spread the word!