The Fear of Cancer by Katie

The Fear of Cancer by Katie - May 2026 Scholarship Essay

The American Cancer Society explains how 1 in 3 women will get any kind of cancer in her lifetime. Life is precious, and with the risk of cancer, it makes life even more valuable. That risk is severe to my sister's and my future, since almost every woman on both sides of my family has had cancer at least once, sometimes even 5 times. I've been told, growing up, “to be careful in the sun, and eat healthier than others because my chances are already higher, so you don't want to make it worse.” I was constantly questioning why my family had gone through so much of this disease. I've overcome my fear by praying to God that He would show me why and let me help them to the best of my ability.
My whole life, I've been so afraid of the day I hear the terrible news from the doctor. There's always that constant fear when I'm around family members who have been struggling with it, who are constantly sick and tired. It's a battle nobody willingly chooses to fight. But fear comes from Satan, who never brings good to your table. When I lean on God and put my complete trust in him, I know all the fear I had goes away, and I can be the person my family can lean on when they need me most.
Another fear I've overcome is death; I'm constantly fearful of the thought that they'll be gone tomorrow. Why would God put this on people we love the most? Romans 8:6 says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace.” It reminds me that if I worry about what the flesh fears, then there won't be peace. You find peace in the Lord, no matter the situation. This verse and situations I've gone through will help me to handle scary situations on my own; they teach me to lean on God, even in the most confusing times.
Our bodies are our temples; we should treat them well and not neglect them. Many things can cause cancer. Looking for ways to prevent it in your life is something I'm constantly working on and nutrition is a huge factor. A few years ago, I struggled with an eating disorder, which didn’t help me eat healthy. Now I've been able to reflect on how important it is to treat your body as a temple and not to eat junk, or not even anything at all. Cancer is more than just skipping lunch. Eating your healthy lunch every day could significantly reduce your risk of getting cancer and improve your mental health. Over the past few years, I've been prioritizing my health and working on cultivating the best mindset when I'm on my own.
Fear and health are two immense struggles many people have. And it's something that only you can change about yourself. Overcoming fear can help so many people who have had cancer. This has also taught me that if you or your family overcomes cancer, you can overcome anything! Making health a top priority will help all kinds of people . You can be more active, adopt the right mindset, and be happier. Therefore, I put my complete trust in Jesus with all my fears, especially cancer.