Academic English

What exactly is cancer, and what forms of cancer are most common in your country or area (liver cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, skin cancer, or other)? Search the Internet to understand more about the disease and look up the most common forms of cancer treatment, both traditional and non-traditional therapies. Also, discuss whether family members openly discuss the disease and if there are any cultural norms on how people deal with cancer.

“come down with” = become sick with a particular medical problem
“If you’re not careful, you’ll come down with the flu.”

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

Interview a friend or relative who has suffered from cancer, or who knows someone who has had it. Discuss the impact the disease has had on their families and how they were able to deal with it, both emotionally and spiritually. Also, find out more about the American Cancer Society and what activities it promotes in fighting cancer disease.

Use the Internet to find information about one of these types of cancer: breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and skin cancer. Then, answer the questions:

1. What are the main symptoms of this type of cancer?
2. What types are used to identify the cancer?
3. What are the possible treatment options?
4. What is the possible prognosis for people in different stages of this cancer?