Gotta Vent and Share Also....

[Larry]

I'll start out by Venting a little frustration and here it is....This week and probaly last week it seem's like the only Cancer in this whole wide world that they care about curing is Breast cancer and yes i know it's the politically correct Cancer but it still is frustrating. The post office is donating 8 cent's for every i guess for every breast cancer stamp they sell , i've noticed some of the churches and businesses are promoting breast cancer awareness. Would it be so difficult for them to just deal with Cancer per se and maybe have a list of how many different cancer's there are and the toll on us it take's..I do not know about the rest of you but sometime's i feel like were all hid back in a corner or like the panhandler in the street that everyone tries to avoid. Well thank you all who tolerated my venting and made it this far so i'll end on a different note. This is maybe more understandable to those who are Catholic but any how last evening i went to confession and the Church has been encouraging us to try doing our confession's face to face with our confessor rather than kneeling behind the partition or screen. Well i did just that and it and it was not nothing like i thought it might be , you know embarassing and so forth. It was like talking and telling your best friend your problem's and thing's you felt guilty about. The difference at the end is also comforting instead of just hearing the word's of forgiveness you instead have the Priest place both hand's on your head and seal you with the act of forgiveness. Just felt like sharing this with all who might be interested...

[ma's kid]

I hear what you're saying...venting is an ok thing to do!

Blessings

Libby

[Shar]

I know exactly how you feel about breast cancer. The survival rate for breast cancer is encouragingly high, there are also many options regarding treatment. Fantastic news!!! However, every time I am out shopping I see pink ribbons for sale on the counters. Celebrities seem to love making this their cause, it's almost become the trendy thing to do.

In Australia one of our best known celebrities, Kylie Minogue, was very unfortunate to be diagnosed with breast cancer. She is expected to make a full recovery, here's hoping she does. Since her diagnosis this country has gone crazy over breast cancer. There are awareness campaigns everywhere and every person possible including our football teams have made it their cause.

Too bad for the people who struggle with bowel cancer and lung cancer, the two least "sexy" cancers of them all. I don't see anybody with any celebrity status putting their name to those cancers.

I try not to be too political about this, but I am getting more and more so. I attend a secondary cancer support group and all but myself have breast cancer. One of the women had the audacity to complain that Tarceva should be trialled on breast cancer patients and how unfair it was only available to lung cancer sufferers. Well, i won't even repeat what came out of my mouth, I just could'nt hold back.

Anyway, enough of my tirade.

Must go and take my frustration out on a bagel with cream cheese!!!!!

Sharon

[Nancy B]

I agree with you. Every store, gas station, dry cleaners I go into, they ask if I want to contribute to breast cancer. I tell them no, if it was lung cancer that is a different story. Even though I have very good friends that have had breast cancer and I have supported them, I am "up to here" with pink.

My breast cancer friend and I went to the Cure Forum in San Diego. There was a 20 minute talk on breast cancer and then the next doc was speaking on lung cancer. After the breast cancer talk, at least 50% of the people in the room left. We thought that was rude. Theirs isn't the only kind of cancer out there.

My friend and I stayed for the prostate, lymphoma and colorectal talks - we just thought it was the right thing to do. Those people are important too.

Well, boy, you got me up on my soapbox. Thanks for reading.

Nancy B

[jcawork]

I feel the same way. I sent this last week to my personal and professional email lists, about 100.

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

As you know, I have been battling Lung Cancer for the last 18 months. I am still in treatment and the battle wages on.

To my great disappointment, I learned early in this nightmare, that Lung Cancer receives little funding or support at a Nation or even local level. It is an absolute disgrace. In the County that I live in, there are over 50 Breast Cancer support groups running each week. The are NO Lung Cancer support groups. None.

Lung Cancer kills more people each year than Breast, Prostate, Colon, Kidney and Melanoma combined. Most people do not know this. I didn't either.

Why is it so IGNORED? There are a number of reasons:

The myth that only smokers get Lung Cancer.

If only smokers get it then they deserve it attitude.

The lack of understanding that there are many types of Lung Cancer and causes.

The fact that historically, older men and older people in general got Lung Cancer and they are not as vocal or willing to advocate compared to the patients who are much younger with different cancers like Breast.

This is no longer true. Younger people are getting it at a horrifying rate.

Unfortunately, treatment can be brutal and the prognosis is very poor for most patients from the start so they have little time or energy to advocate and most die. The average survival rate for lung cancer all types combined is a dismal 15% for 5 years. Some stats quote 15% for 2 years.

So, what is the favor I need? I have been too tired to physically get out there and raise hell, but I have to do something. November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The sad thing is no one seems to know this. I spend a lot of time in medical offices both personally and professionally. When I have asked in recent weeks, no one seemed to know this. Most knew October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month though.

Even the pharmaceutical companies are not doing a good job promoting this. They do however, an excellent job at Breast and Prostate promotion.

I have inserted a link to ALCASE if you would like to get educated, get involved or you are just curious. They have a section where you can get a boiler plate letter to send to our lawmakers.

I would also ask that you forward this email to your email list and ask them to pass it on too. If all of us pass this email on, awareness will increase. That is the first step.

Thanks for your time and thanks in advance if you pass this email on in recognition of National Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November.

Jen Ackerman

Click here: Lung Cancer Alliance - Advocacy - Lung Cancer Awareness Month is November each year

ALCASE

888 16th Street NW

Suite 800

Washington DC 20006

202-463-2080

800-298-2436 hotline

lungcanceralliance.org

NO MORE EXCUSES. NO MORE LUNG CANCER.

Lung cancer causes more deaths in the United States than any other cancer. Over 60% of new lung cancers are diagnosed in people who never smoked or who managed to quit smoking even decades ago. Our initiatives aim to make fighting lung cancer a priority for more people and change public perceptions about the disease. Our unique patient education and support programs help people directly affected by lung cancer.

ALCASE is the Lung Cancer Alliance - we simplified our name to better communicate our mission.

FYI:

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the

United States.

Lung cancer causes 30%of all cancer deaths.

Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer among Caucasians,

African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.

Lung cancer will kill more people this year than:

•breast cancer

•prostate cancer

•colon cancer

•liver cancer

•kidney cancer

•melanoma...combined

Lung cancer will kill 3 times as many men as prostate

cancer this year.

Lung cancer will kill nearly twice as many women as breast

cancer this year.

Over 50%of new lung cancer cases will be diagnosed at a

very late stage —Stage IIIb or IV —and only 5%of them will

live for 5 years.

Myth:

After you stop smoking, your lungs go back to normal in

10 years.

Truth:

The lungs never go back to normal. Most former smokers remain

at elevated risk.

Current smokers:35-40%of new lung cancer cases

Former smokers:50%of new lung cancer cases

Never smoked:10-15%of new lung cancer cases

[daggiesmom]

I hear you 1000%. I too feel as you do. If the population had the TRUE facts about the major cause of cancer related killer of women - LUNG CANCER - things would be mighty different. Even if you go to "woman themed" web sites, it's barely mentioned - everything is BREAST CANCER. Because the whole world is so consumed about breasts and they're so obviously connected with sexuality in this world, of course, everything revolves around that. Except no one seems to realize that if you can't breath, it doesn't matter how gorgeous and health your breasts are, you can still be NOT BREATHING!!!!!! As long as the government makes a profit on tobacco, things will not change. Read the ASCO.org website to see what the doctors think about things. How the government should be stopped; how a tobacco free world is their goal.

I do have sympathy for ANYONE with cancer of any body part; my problem comes in with the deliberate deception of people. With the deliberate overplay of other cancers at the neglect of the NUMBER ONE CANCER KILLER OF BOTH MEN AND WOMEN IN THIS COUNTRY.

Pink ribbions and yellow bracelets mean nothing to me. ACTION on the part of this government is what is needed to end this. We have no "celebrity" with enough guts to stand up and do something about it. It's not politically correct and frankly, I think if they did, big tobacco is so big, they might not ever speak again. Maybe that's why.

Sorry to go on so much about this, but I am very, very sick of hearing about Breast Cancer. 95% success of cure if caught early, that's great. SCLC has a 15% chance of survival. So who profits with these percentages? Also, maybe a See-thru, non-color ribbon Shouldn't be the symbol of Lung Cancer. How long should we stay INVISIBLE! That makes NO IMPACT. People can't see it. If you want to sell something, it should be something that STANDS OUT. Why do you think PINK is a good color? Someone had a good marketing strategy.

Grumpy Joan (I'm sick and tired of having friends die from this)

[Frank Lamb]

Mabe someday instead of a breast cancer awareness month they will make it a week and split the rest of the month up with 3 other cancers (1 week each).

That way a lot more awareness would be brought to lung cancer and other cancers that really could use that exposure.

[Kris]

Thank you all for sharing this! I thought I was the only one that felt this way and I was angry at myself for being so insensitive. So much so that I have never told anyone how all this "pink" makes me feel. I was feeling badly because I know families that have been affected by breast cancer but it makes me angry that this one type of cancer gets so much funding and recognition. But I see it's not just me who feels this way and I think other cancer awareness should be promoted too. With awareness comes understand, with understanding comes funding and with funding, a cure.

C'mon.....move over Pink, I want to see some other colors!...mainly Clear!

Kris

[Ann]

I feel the same way! When I am asked to buy a pink ribbon or a pink candle or a pink tee shirt or about a million other pink items, I merely answer that I donate my money to lung cancer causes. I then start rambling off statistics about lung cancer and the person ends up looking at me really not knowing what to say. The other day, I asked a lady if her store would be raising money for lung cancer in November? I'm a woman and I realize that we can all be affected by many different types of cancer. I also understand that if I get breast cancer, I will stand a very good chance of surviving because of all the research that has been done. I also know that this research is funded by all of these donations. I just wish someone would give lung cancer the same support and consideration!

[Ellen B.]

Yes, I agree with you.

Maybe, part of the problem is that most people with lc don't survive. They can't organise a 'awareness month' like the many survivors of breast cancer. What do you think?

Ellen.

[dchurchi]

I am going to show you all a quote in this Tuesday Oct 25th USA Today money section, USA today is running a week long series on the cost of living longer. Tuesday was about the overall cost to the government for people living longer. The quote is from Dana Godman director of health on economics at Rand Corp a non-profit research firm

"The dirty little secret of public health finance is that cigarettes are a very cost-effetive killer" Goldman says. "Living longer is great for society but a disaster for govenment programs"

now if that does not get your blood to boil I am not sure what will, not only does the government make billions of taxing cigarettes, they are considered "cost effective killers" So where is the incentive to finance research to find a cure for lung cancer. There isn't!!!!

Just felt it was important to share this based on this topic.

Debbie

Husband Alan dx small cell lung cancer Jan 10th 2005

[bunny]

I agree too, Larry,. that it's hard to watch all the BC stuff while we're all struggling here with LC. I take it as a call to arms, so to speak.

also, I am not catholic, but have participated in catholic-run women's spiritual retreats for many years and have experienced face-to-face confession like that. powerful!! I cry every time.

xoxo

amie

[lilyjohn]

I agree with all of you 100%. Maybe it does have something to do with the obsesson this country has on sex but I think there is also another reason.

People like being able to say that only smokers get lung cancer. They feel safer if they have never smoked by thinking that and ignoring the truth. I believe too that people are really afraid to get too close to lung cancer for any reason. It is as if they are afraid if they do it will get them or someone they love. Crazy yes but people will do anything to "protect" themselves in their mind. Too bad they don't realize that leaves them wide open to lung cancer because they won't be tested early enough if they do get it.

By the way has anyone noticed in the last year an increase in the number of people who have all kinds of cancer? I can't get through a week without learning that someone I know has either been diagnosed with some kind of cancer or has a family memeber who has been. With all the money going to research this should not be happening but it is.

[Larry]

Really great responses, only wish i had brought this up earlier. Well today i was delivering a package to a small town P.O. and as i was walking in a young lady maybe in her early thirties was getting ready to leave and i guess noticed the pink ribbon and the request to buy pink stamp's so she turned back around and order's 2 book's. Being as i know the Post Master there i used it as a opportunity to ask her while the young lady was there if they were aware which cancer was in november and they both said prostrate.That was my opening and i said no i believe it is for lung Cancer and proceeded to give them some stat's. Then i said you know it make's lung cancer victim's feel like evil step children the way were ignored and treated like they deserve it because they smoked. They both agreed that it was a attitude most people have so then i gave them the bad new's in that most lung cancer is being now found in people who no longer smoke or never have and that i was sensitive to all the hoopla given breast cancer being as my wife was dealing with lung cancer and they both apologized and i left.....

[Suzie Q]

I'm quite sure that every one has a rightful dedication to research and an indignance for the lack of better fnding for "their" particular disease, and I don't mean just cancer (this is where we all take our collective territorial pee). I am split between two killers - melanoma and LC as my dad has mel and my mom has nscls. I find funding lacking but awareness improving, at least on the melanoma front.

Perhaps part of the reason that breast cancer gets all the media attention and the lion's share of the research funding and donations is because it is fairly easy to detect. LC doesn't have that luxury. It is usually detected in the late stages. That makes it difficult to get enough early stagers for following up treatment results.

And on the face-to-face confession thing - I experienced on of my life's most amazing peaceful moments at absolution during one a few years ago...I cannot explain it adequately, but I truly felt forgiven and loved by God.

~Suz