03:34 PM PDT on Monday, September 27, 2004

KREM 2 News

One in five of us will get cancer in our lifetime. It touches our friends and families. But with early detection and sophisticated new treatments, it can be controlled and often cured. In this KREM 2 Family Health Check Special we look at the cancers that affect us the most, from the most common (skin cancer) to the deadliest (lung cancer).

Cancer survivors of all ages talk about their illness. Some have had long, grueling battles with the disease, while others have had very close calls. They share lessons that can help other people prevent cancer, or find the courage to fight it and even go on to accomplish things they never believed possible.

Our program will begin with Peter Colford’s story. For seven years, he triumphed on the air as KREM 2’s main meteorologist. At the young age of 37, Peter was diagnosed with an older person’s disease, colon cancer. Peter lost his battle with cancer 11 years ago this month. But his legacy lives, and through his story, a powerful message of prevention and early detection is told.

Just how much does diet and exercise affect your chances of getting cancer? Studies are now proving there are specific moves people can make to cut their risk of cancer by as much as half. Other studies also show exercise can improve the survival rates of those already diagnosed with cancer by up to 50 percent.

Meanwhile, medical science is making amazing progress with cancer. For instance, new MRI technology helps detect breast cancer earlier than ever, and a cancer vaccine is in the works.

Local doctors explain how new research breakthroughs are giving hope that cancer may lose its prevalence in the coming years.

In this series, we'll show you why the battle against cancer is gaining ground and why cancer patients and medical professionals have real reason for hope.