Turns out that getting chemo is like sending cancer to a relaxing spa getaway for the weekend, so that it comes back refreshed and ready to kill.

That's disturbing.

What else have we misunderstood?

Biological sex and cancer.

A short thread.

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Almost every type of cancer affects men more than women. And overall, more women survive a cancer diagnosis. Men also develop about 150,000 extra cancers per year in the US, compared to women.

Why is that?

Because biology.

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We used to think that the reason for female cancer 'resistance' was behaviorally based because: women see their doctor more often and drink less alcohol etc.

But that's not the whole story.

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Women have two X chromosomes while men have only one. We used to think that women's 2nd X was 'silenced' and not able to work for them.

But this is also wrong.

And the so called 'silenced' X isn't silent at all. Women actually have the use of both X chromosomes.

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Some of the genes involved in cancer suppression are on the X chromosome. And a 2nd copy of these genes is only available to women because they have two X chromosomes.

When it comes to preventing cancer women have more genetic horsepower in each of their cells.

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The tumor suppressor genes that only women have a copy of are called 'Escape from X-Inactivation Tumor Suppressor', or EXITS for short.

When it comes to fighting cancer, women have EXITS and sadly, men don't.

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Even when both women and men are diagnosed with the same type of cancer, women respond better to treatments.

We've underappreciated the genetic strength of women and their capacity to fight cancer using both of their X chromosomes.

#TheBetterHalf

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Great article from @AsheSchow. I lived thru the 'Satanic Panic' of the 1980's/early 1990's asking myself "Has eveyrbody lost their GODDAMN MINDS?!"


The 3 big things that made the 1980's/early 1990's surreal for me.

1) Satanic Panic - satanism in the day cares ahhhh!

2) "Repressed memory" syndrome

3) Facilitated Communication [FC]

All 3 led to massive abuse.

"Therapists" -and I use the term to describe these quacks loosely - would hypnotize people & convince they they were 'reliving' past memories of Mom & Dad killing babies in Satanic rituals in the basement while they were growing up.

Other 'therapists' would badger kids until they invented stories about watching alligators eat babies dropped into a lake from a hot air balloon. Kids would deny anything happened for hours until the therapist 'broke through' and 'found' the 'truth'.

FC was a movement that started with the claim severely handicapped individuals were able to 'type' legible sentences & communicate if a 'helper' guided their hands over a keyboard.