Catch AIDS, prevent cancer!!!

This is my favorite passage (passage: get it! HA!):

And the HIV patients still had a higher than usual risk of anal cancer

 

You've heard the first sign of aids is a firm hard pounding in your rear end. Possibly something to do with it!

 

I honestly fail to see what's so funny about the whole thing. AIDS patients suffer from a variety of cancers due to the loss of T-cell immunity (and possibly a direct effect from the virus). This article merely states that the latest AIDS therapies are effective in reducing these very common and debilitating AIDS-defining and AIDS-associated illnesses (various forms of cancer).

Uro, you should know that the increased risk of anal squamous cell carcinoma is likely due to receptive anal intercourse with transmission of human papilloma virus (an oncogenic virus). So what's funny about it ? Why is that your favorite line ? Is it because you think they somehow deserve this fate as homosexuals ?

The anti-gay sentiment rife through this forum saddens me. But I would expect more empathy from a physician, of all people.

 

Its called "gallows humor". People will always find a moment of dark humor in any grave situation. There is nothing wrong with it, in fact it is a HEALTHY way to deal with the grave situations in life. I didn't invent it. It has been used since people have had the ability to laugh. It is a way to take power from a serious threat. You laugh at the hangman to lessen his power.

There will always be someone to draw exception to it as you amply demonstrate.

If you or a loved one have the disease, I'm sincerely sorry for you.

 

Nice try, but that only applies if you're the condemned facing the hangman. As far as I know (am I wrong ?) you're not facing a slow, painful death from AIDS.

The more apt analogy would be someone in the crowd of a public execution heckling the condemned. Which is grossly distasteful, as I'm sure you'd agree.

Humor can be mean spirited in its tone, and this certainly qualifies. I'm sorry you're under the misconception that I would be in the minority for taking exception to this sort of "joke"

I don't have the disease, neither do any of my loved ones. I have treated patients with the disease, and I know the pain they (and their families) suffer.

 

What?

I'm a surgeon. That puts me officially in a "high risk group". Yes, I'm in a high risk group. I might (hopefully not) have it now.

I'm exposed to blood weekly. I absolutely do not discriminate against ANYONE for any reason that needs an operation. I have operated on many HIV patients.

It is true, that because of an equally valid, Federally protected, popularly celebrated alternative lifestyle, my life and my family's well being is at risk. There is no way around the fact that this threatens me DIRECTLY.

Yes, indeed I have a stake in this. I'm not going to moan and groan about it. I'm going to deal with it, find a little humor where I can and take care of everyone regardless of the HIV status as I have always done.

 

Oh, and BTW, the little joke was on the word "passage", favorite passage of a finger waving Urologist.

 

Well, I'm glad to hear it.

You should bear no resentment against homosexuals, even the HIV positive ones for putting you (and your family) at risk. If a smallpox bio-attack happens tomorrow, as a microbiologist, I will be at the first line putting myself and my family at risk. I've already had occupational exposure to the SARS virus in cell culture. What I'm getting at is that these are risks that we bear as physicians, and we should bear no resentment towards the patients we treat on that account.

The reason I bring that up is that, despite your declaration that you won't "moan and groan about it", there is a fair bit of implied resentment in your highlighting the fact that it's THEIR alternative lifestyle, "Federally protected" that puts YOU at risk. Do you honestly think you can afford to think this way as a physician ?

And BTW, I *did* get the joke about the passage (the one that you love to frequent occupationally). Yes, the joke would be funny were it not for the macabre context. I just thought making light of something like this is not all that sensitive particularly given our profession.

Never mind, let's forget about this.

 

Agreed.

 

PLEASE!

 

Actually, it isn't ironic, that *is* how it works. You see, the immune system is very important in preventing cancer in our bodies. This is called "immune surveillance". AIDS patients get lots of different types of solid and hematologic cancers because of the immune suppression from the virus. The virus itself can also directly transform (make cancerous) certain cell types.

Anti-HIV treatment can reduce viral replication and loads, and thereby allow the immune system a momentary respite to recover. This way, cancers are prevented or caused to regress.

This drug cocktail will not actually prevent cancer in an otherwise healthy person, it only works to reduce the cancer risk in a patient already suffering from AIDS.

Just FYI.

Sure, sorry about my previous ranting.