mjb Posted October 10, 2004 Share Posted October 10, 2004 I spent the last 6 months coming on and looking at specific issues having to do with my husband's treatment & symptoms. This week I started looking for a support group and discovered what a neglected group we are! Did you know that Lung cancer kills more Americans each year than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined? Federal government spending on cancer research in 2003: Breast Cancer $13,649 per cancer death Prostate Cancer $10,560 per cancer death Colorectal Cancer $4,581 per cancer death Lung Cancer $1,740 per cancer death These statistics are via www.lungevity.org and they quote the National Cancer Institute and Couldn't find the statistics on HIV, though I'm sure they are out there but did read that government funding was 18.5 billion in 2003. I had a sister with breast cancer and I don't begrudge money spent on any of these because it may help with lung cancer. But. We need to advocate for our families and friends - no one deserves to go through this, smoker or not, and 50% or non smokers when diagnosed. There are two posts under LC Activism on our board. One says Let's Do It! and the other says Sign the Petition! They give websites where you can go right now and either send an email or write a letter to state and federal officials. I urge everyone to do that. When I saw all the support groups for other kinds of cancer and AIDS, it both saddened and angered me that there was so little out there for us. Make a difference. And tell others when you're talking to them on the boards. Thanks for reading my vent:) MJB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted October 10, 2004 Share Posted October 10, 2004 We are all with you , we all want more research for cures , research for early diagnosis, for lung cancer. It is not easy to attract attention away from "prevention" which in total is quit smoking. http://www.fair.org/activism/stossel-nih.html This site says HIV research has a $1.8 Billion budget, which is 10 times that for breast cancer. I also am not against curing or controling all these diseases but I think a disease that afflicts more than all those combined and is about 90 % fatal certainly needs more attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjb Posted October 10, 2004 Author Share Posted October 10, 2004 Wow - now I think my brain has been affected. I swear I posted a reply and it disappeared! Thanks for the link - I went and read it. Since 1999 when it was posted, AIDS funding has apx. doubled each year. Quoting from the Kaiser Foundation www.kff.org More than half (59%) of the $18.5 billion of funding for FY 2004 was for care activities, 9% for cash and housing assistance, 16% for research, 5% for prevention, and 10% for international. My calculator doesn't go that high, but 15% (research 16%) of 18.5 billion should be about 2.7 billion. Can't find the breakdown for lung cancer except that it said $1740 per death and apx. 160,000 deaths and if my math is right (fingers crossed) that's only 10% as much. AIDS is a horrific disease. We had a lady at our church this morning from Africa and she lost several family members to it. Research for the cure can cross lines and help cancer patients. The same is true if equal funding were given to lung cancer research. As I said in the post that I apparently sent into cyberspace, some doctors have been quoted as saying lung cancer research is the "stepchild". I'm angry, I'm sad and I'm scared to death I will lose my husband before they make enough advances. I know you all have these fears. I would like to think we can make a difference. Bear with me if at times I don't make sense. And God bless everyone who is struggling with this. I'll shut up now:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hebbie Posted October 10, 2004 Share Posted October 10, 2004 Yes, it is sad, but true. Breast cancer receives 10 times the federal funding per death than lung cancer, and HIV/AIDS research receives 30 times the federal funding per death than lung cancer. And I, for one, say it's far past time we do something about that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay A. Posted October 11, 2004 Share Posted October 11, 2004 MJB, You wrote: "I know you all have these fears. I would like to think we can make a difference. Bear with me if at times I don't make sense. And God bless everyone who is struggling with this. I'll shut up now:)" I ask that you don't shut up........now or ever. I ask that the same feelings you've expressed here be expressed in more public forums. I ask that you share the messages you wrote to us with anyone who will listen to you. I pray your husband is healed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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