The Unseen Life, Part 20

With a paternal familial history of carcinoma, fatally afflicting several members (my grandmother, several aunties and uncles, including my father and sister), a prevailing precautionary sense steers my own wellbeing; without becoming too paranoid! This entailed routine cancer-specific screenings at different junctures in time. My most recent ctDNA detection test (viz., where cancerous and precancerous cells’ DNA are detected in the blood specimen) surfaced what appeared to be potentially malignant fragments in the circulatory system, with the stomach as its primary source. Armed with this preliminary analysis, the normal procedures for both an AI-assisted gastroscopy and colonscopy were immediately scheduled. A biopsy taken indicated abnormal cell growth at a prior inflamed site on the stomach lining leading to the small intestine, that is presently non-cancerous. The colon is clear.
 
The inflammation was caused by an earlier 6 months’ NSAID prescription that was subsequently discontinued in the preceding year. Apparently, the treatment following that diagnosis was inadequate. If it remained untreated for any length of time, the continued cell mutation may turn cancerous in the future. Or it may remain benign. (Note: Precancerous cells, also called premalignant cells, are abnormal cells that have changes in how they look or grow. The cells are not cancer, but they show changes that raise the risk of turning into cancer over time since cancer cells take a protracted period to transform). The current diagnosis is antral gastritis. To be doubly certain, both my oncologist and the cancer surgeon prudently recommended a follow-up ctDNA test for stomach cancer six months later, and a further gastroscopy in twelve months’ time. By then, we ought to arrive at some conclusion for this phase of screening. In the meantime, a longer treatment term had been prescribed for the gastritis. 
 
It is perennially crucial to take responsibility for one’s own health decisions. Nevertheless, early detection for any precancerous development appears critical, especially when there is an extant family history of the disease! Prior to the biopsy's report, having lived through two bouts of caring for family members and helplessly watching them cope with the agonies of the advancing disease, I was mentally and emotionally prepared for the worst. However, despite some initial anxiety, I am grateful for God’s assurance that He is in control whatever the outcome. His signature grace and peace, that passes understanding, immediately prevailed over me.
 
The dread of a cancer diagnosis haunts most of us, whether consciously or unconsciously. For many, the subject evokes enormous anxiety, even potential depression. Given its pervasive occurrence in the general population (according to WHO, one in five people die from cancer worldwide in 2022), and together with a proliferation of distressing stories of pain, suffering, and privations, is it any wonder that the topic remains odious until it surfaces, forcing us to confront its inevitable and dreaded repercussions impacting normal life. Given its infamous characterization as a ‘silent killer,’ diagnostic discovery usually emerges only when the disease has reached an advanced mutative stage (as was the case with both my father and sister), when it threatens life itself. 
 
Diseases and illness will persist throughout our lives, this side of heaven. Our incidental lifestyle, inclusive of dietary choices, and environmental pollution, not to mention our genetic makeup, all contribute towards our vulnerability to undeniable health exigencies. Moreover, the caustic effects of our plastic and chemical world, permeate almost every facet of life. Not many of us appreciate or care particularly what we consume on a day-to-day basis, and if we dined out, fewer still bother how our meals had been prepared or how the produce had been cultivated. And there aren’t many choices, notably for city dwellers, breathing the polluted air around us. Scripture informs believers that we ought to value our frame as God’s ‘holy temple’ (1Cor 6: 19 – 20); and despite our body’s fragility, we are to respect it as belonging to God! This implies focusing some attention on self-care, without getting too self-absorbed, and in the same vein, caring for our loved ones. Nevertheless, it’s comforting to realise that ultimately our lives are in God’s hands!

​For eons past, Christians have neglected responsibility for our world’s environment. Thankfully, others have enthusiastically stepped into the gap. Since we live in this world, the environment, specifically in our small corner, has been entrusted to us by our Creator, as it’s intricately linked to our overall health concerns. Therefore, our holistic approach over our small and battered world remains our concern as God’s stewards (c.f., Rom 8: 22 – 23).

9 December 2025 Update: An earlier PET Scan indicated a benign Thymic Nodule in the lung. Presently, no cancers had been detected. All DNA fragments came from abnormal cells.
 
Here are a couple of useful links on precancer and cancer:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/understanding-cancer/what-is-cancer/precancer.html
 
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/understanding-cancer/what-is-cancer.html
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