Aetiology of cancer

Abstract

February 4 is designated ‘Cancer International Day’. On this day last year, I was in a public place when I overheard two primary school teachers from Central Kenya arguing as to whether there was a suitable vernacular word to describe cancer. After prolonged and repetitive argument lasting over one hour, one of them suggested the word “Kirumi” which in English roughly translates as a “curse”. His friend seemed to agree apparently for lack of better word. In reality, the two people were actually arguing about the cause (etiology) of cancer. The vernacular word is used to describe an illness which defies logical explanation, the equivalence of the English word, “idiosyncrasy” and is often a consequence of failure to observe the wish of a departed relative. This discussion between the two teachers reminded me of a scene in the fiction book Through the locking glass where Alice finds herself involved in a futile argument with Humpty Dumpty over the meaning of the word “glory”. When Humpty Dumpty runs out of patience, he brings the argument to an abrupt end by exclaiming, “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.”