Linda’s aunt Dolly has been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and the whole family has questions. What will happen next? How will this cancer be treated? Will Dolly be okay? Are they at risk for stomach cancer, too? Everyone is talking at the same time and not listening to anyone else.
Linda quietly heads to her room to use the computer. Online, she plans to learn as much as she can about stomach cancer and its treatment options. While she’s researching, her little brother Joey comes into her room. He’s too young to understand most of the adult medical conversations taking place in the house, but he knows something is very wrong with his aunt. He, too, has some questions that he’s too shy to ask the grownups. So he asks Linda, “Can we catch cancer from Aunt Dolly, like a cold? Did Aunt Dolly do something wrong to make cancer happen?”
What should Linda tell Joey?
In this lesson, you will learn about some common noncommunicable diseases, like cancer, that do not spread from person to person. You will learn ways to prevent or reduce your risk of these diseases and ways in which they can be treated.
