Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the blood vessels of an individual and has an unknown etiology. It is considered as a low-grade cancer because it grows and spreads slowly. However, it can become malignant. It typically starts in soft tissues like the liver or the lung, and can spread to nearby or distant organs. Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma affects about 0.1 percent of the American population with an overall 5-year survival rate of 55% after a standard primary radical treatment. 1,2
Crazy sexy cancer is a documentary about a young lady, age 31, who was diagnosed with epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma, stage IV cancer on Valentine’s day in 2003. One morning, Kris felt sick and decided to see the doctor and that’s when she was diagnosed. Since her cancer was rare, her only treatment options were experimental ones. From the doctor’s report,
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Despite her diagnose with this rare form of cancer with a 100 percent fatality rate, she did not give up.3 Though she was in shock, she took matters into her own hands and stopped worrying and stressing. According to National Cancer Institute, a study revealed that mice with human tumor confined from other healthy mice had an increase in tumor size. The study showed that tumors were more likely to grow and metastasize due to stress 4. From this experiment one can see that our stress level can influence our health. The ability of a person to change their mindset to a positive one can impact their health in various ways. In addition to this, Kris had a strong emotional support from her family and friend. I believe her emotional support helped decreased her stress level. As people, we all need support from our friends and family, which is one way to control our stress. In addition to this, yoga and dance therapy were included in her daily routine which I think helped calm her stress