Over 400 Dead Yesterday

[CaroleHammett]

Almost every week, one of our family members or friends posts a notice here of the loss of a loved one to lung cancer, and each of those notices strikes hard.

But the truth of the matter is that these notices are just a drop in the bucket:

Over 400 Americans alone died of lung cancer yesterday. That's more than 3,000 of us within just the last week, of an estimated 160,000 this year.*

I propose that each of us reading this message stop right now for a moment of silence in their honor (and the honor of millions more around the world) and also that we take a second moment to count our own blessings (If we're reading this, at least we're still alive).

Carole

NSCLC IIIB Squamous Dx 01/07

*Based on an estimated 90,810 men and 70,030 women dying in the U.S. this year according to "Cancer Facts and Figures 2008," American Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/200 ... ecured.pdf

[Welthy]

Carole -- I'm right there with you and the following is a footer I have on all my emails now because lung cancer is the best kept secret in the U.S. (Plus a little clear ribbon.) Some of the info is from an excellent article that I think I posted recently.

Welthy

-Lung cancer's ribbon is clear to represent the "invisible" disease- the LARGEST CANCER KILLER in the U.S.

-LC kills more each year than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney & melanoma COMBINED. NCI research funding disparity is $1,830 per LC death, $23,470 per breast cancer death, $164,000 per AIDS death.

-CDC stats - 1981-2005 U.S. AIDS deaths - 530,307 - LC deaths exceeded 3,500,000

-Five year survivorship for lung cancer is 15% (most from accidental early detection). Typical survivorship is 6-24 mos.

-No early screening methods are available

-You may think that LC happens because people are all old, smoked & knew the risk they were taking. Not so.

-It is estimated that 30,000 never-smokers developed LC in 2007, & 21,900 will die. That's 60 never-smoking people every day. The majority of people diagnosed with lung cancer quit smoking many years ago.

-We need lung cancer to become VISIBLE. How can anyone overlook 438 deaths per day?