"Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine."  ~Lord Byron

Does Cancer Have A Sense of Humour?

W hile humour is a good companion when you’re in treatment for cancer, you may not want cancer jokes for your personal companion. This is especially true if you just found out that you have cancer. When you are first informed you have cancer, there is no such thing as "humour." Cancer was wa s not funny! Once However, once you have learned to live with your diagnosis and with your treatment, you can benefit from humour.

You may eventually discover that laughter helps the medicine go down. In fact, more than fifteen years ago 60 Minutes – a n investigative television news programme i n the US – did a report about The Wellness Community, a support program me for cancer patients and their families. They began by showing a room full of cancer patients laughing at jokes. Millions who watched the show probably asked themselves whether they would be able to find humour and laughter in the face of a life-threatening illness.

History Behind Humour
Humor has been used in medicine throughout recorded history. One of the earliest mentions of the health benefits of humo ur is in the book of Proverbs in the Bible. And the Bible noted: "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones." (Proverbs 17:22).

As early as the 13th thirteenth century, some surgeons used humo ur to distract patients from the pain of surgery. Humo ur was also widely used and studied by the medical community in the early 20th twentieth century.

People have always valued humo ur. Humo ur for health improvement is not a new prescription. The ancient Greeks included a visit to "the home of comedians" for patients in their healing centers centres. Depictions of mirth, jokes and slapstick can be found among the Egyptian hieroglyphics. Being So being able to find humo ur in life can be helpful when dealing with cancer.

Healing With Humour
Available scientific evidence does not support humour as an effective treatment for cancer or any other disease; however, laughter has many benefits, including positive physical changes and an overall sense of well well-being. One study found the use of humour led to an increase in pain tolerance. It is thought laughter causes the release of special neuro-transmitter substances in the brain (endorphins) that help control pain. Another study found that neuro-endocrine and stress-related hormones decreased during episodes of laughter. These findings provide support for the claim that humour can relieve stress.

Researchers have described different types of humour. Passive humour results from seeing prepared material, such as a funny movie, standup comedy, or an amusing book. Spontaneous or unplanned humour involves finding humour in everyday situations.

The physical effects of laughter on the body include increased breathing, more oxygen use , and higher heart rate. Many hospitals and treatment centers centres have set up special rooms where humorous materials, and sometimes people, are placed to help make people laugh. Materials commonly used include movies, audio and videotapes, books, games , and puzzles. Many hospitals use volunteers who visit patients for the purpose of providing opportunities for laughter.

The point is that , a good laugh relieves stress for everyone, which researchers are beginning to demonstrate. The relief of laughter can be especially beneficial for cancer patients, who have more than enough stress to deal with.

So, here are a few jokes to lighten up your day . :

What do you call a doctor who is always on the telephone?
An ON-CALLogist.

What do you call bugs with cancer?
Malign ANT and BEE nign.

Q. What do you call a person who has a compulsion to get lymphoma over and over again?

A. Lymphomaniac

A Doctor’s Prognosis

Doctor: The tests show that your cancer is advanced. You have six months to live.

Patient: But, Doc, I can’t pay off my medical bills in six months.