Battling More Than Just the Books

Clair Melville, a fourth-year medical student at Keele/Manchester University in the United Kingdom, works hard to balance class, work and a social life. But recently Clair, 24, has added headaches, fatigue and frequent medical appointments to her agenda. Clair is not only a college student; she is a cancer patient as well.

A continent away, Lindsey*, a 21-year-old pre-med student at University of California Davis (UCD), struggled to stay in school after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the beginning of the year. Lindsey left UCD at the beginning of this fall semester, following a doctor’s recommendation.

Clair and Lindsey are not alone. A study published by the Department of Health and Human Services reported that 44 men and 33.1 women in every 100,000 people are diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 20 and 24. The study, published last year, reports 2001 data compiled from state cancer registries.

Although Clair and Lindsey have taken different approaches toward school, both agree that their health comes before academics.

“Once you find out you have cancer and you're trying to take care of it, it really doesn't matter if you miss a lecture or two," Lindsey said.