PLS PASS ON
I recently received a forwarded video in my e-mail from a well-meaning relative, with this impassioned request:
My LADY FRIENDS............PLS WATCH THIS VIDEO
IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US AS WOMAN
BREAST CANCER-RARELY HEARD OF !!!!!!!!!!!!
PLS PASS ON......................PLS !!!!!!
I watched the video – about inflammatory breast cancer – and agree that it is important information for women to have. But I felt like writing back, “What about me? I’m a woman and I’ve never smoked, but I have lung cancer.” I guess if anyone is going to bring lung cancer to the attention of the public, it will be those of us who are touched by it. There are two things that get in the way… the stigma of smoking, and the fact that there are so few lung cancer survivors.
I never thought I would get cancer. Heart disease has taken most of the women in my family. But if I did get cancer, I thought it would be breast cancer. (One of my aunts is a breast cancer survivor.) I dutifully scheduled yearly mammograms. The idea of having a breast removed was scary to me… I couldn’t imagine anything worse than being disfigured like that. Now I wish I were a breast cancer patient. I would at least have a fighting chance to become a survivor, with or without a breast. With advanced lung cancer I have virtually no chance at all. Here are some hard facts comparing lung cancer with breast cancer, and important information about the second leading cause of lung cancer… Radon. I have no way of knowing if exposure to radon caused my lung cancer, but there were no other risk factors.
• Only 16 percent of lung cancer patients are diagnosed before their disease has spread to other parts of their bodies, (e.g., regional lymph nodes and beyond), compared to more than 50 percent of breast cancer patients
• Roughly 84 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer die within five years of their diagnosis, compared to 11 percent of breast cancer
• Lung cancer will kill nearly twice as many women this year as breast cancer.
• Less money is spent on lung cancer research than on research on other cancers. In 2006, the National Cancer Institute estimated it spent only $1,638 per lung cancer death compared to $13,519 per breast cancer
• 10-15% of new lung cancer cases have never smoked.
• Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, and the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
• Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that up to 15% of lung cancers worldwide are due to radon exposure. 1 in 15 homes in the US is estimated to have an elevated radon level
What Is Radon?
"Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that is released from the normal decay of uranium in the soil. Radon can enter homes through cracks in the foundation, floors, and walls, through openings around sump pumps and drains, and through gaps around pipes. Radon may also be present in the water supply in homes that have well water.
You can hire someone to test your home for radon, but simple test kits under $20 are available at most hardware stores. These kits are usually placed in the lowest living area in the home and left in place for a few days. The kit is then sent to the manufacturer who returns a report with a radon level." (About.Com)
PLS PASS ON
My LADY FRIENDS............PLS WATCH THIS VIDEO
IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US AS WOMAN
BREAST CANCER-RARELY HEARD OF !!!!!!!!!!!!
PLS PASS ON......................PLS !!!!!!
I watched the video – about inflammatory breast cancer – and agree that it is important information for women to have. But I felt like writing back, “What about me? I’m a woman and I’ve never smoked, but I have lung cancer.” I guess if anyone is going to bring lung cancer to the attention of the public, it will be those of us who are touched by it. There are two things that get in the way… the stigma of smoking, and the fact that there are so few lung cancer survivors.
I never thought I would get cancer. Heart disease has taken most of the women in my family. But if I did get cancer, I thought it would be breast cancer. (One of my aunts is a breast cancer survivor.) I dutifully scheduled yearly mammograms. The idea of having a breast removed was scary to me… I couldn’t imagine anything worse than being disfigured like that. Now I wish I were a breast cancer patient. I would at least have a fighting chance to become a survivor, with or without a breast. With advanced lung cancer I have virtually no chance at all. Here are some hard facts comparing lung cancer with breast cancer, and important information about the second leading cause of lung cancer… Radon. I have no way of knowing if exposure to radon caused my lung cancer, but there were no other risk factors.
• Only 16 percent of lung cancer patients are diagnosed before their disease has spread to other parts of their bodies, (e.g., regional lymph nodes and beyond), compared to more than 50 percent of breast cancer patients
• Roughly 84 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer die within five years of their diagnosis, compared to 11 percent of breast cancer
• Lung cancer will kill nearly twice as many women this year as breast cancer.
• Less money is spent on lung cancer research than on research on other cancers. In 2006, the National Cancer Institute estimated it spent only $1,638 per lung cancer death compared to $13,519 per breast cancer
• 10-15% of new lung cancer cases have never smoked.
• Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, and the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
• Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that up to 15% of lung cancers worldwide are due to radon exposure. 1 in 15 homes in the US is estimated to have an elevated radon level
What Is Radon?
"Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that is released from the normal decay of uranium in the soil. Radon can enter homes through cracks in the foundation, floors, and walls, through openings around sump pumps and drains, and through gaps around pipes. Radon may also be present in the water supply in homes that have well water.
You can hire someone to test your home for radon, but simple test kits under $20 are available at most hardware stores. These kits are usually placed in the lowest living area in the home and left in place for a few days. The kit is then sent to the manufacturer who returns a report with a radon level." (About.Com)
PLS PASS ON
posted by Looking for Hope | 10:35 AM
1 Comments:
I agree completely with everything you've said. Breast cancer gets a lot of attention because, I believe, people survive. They go on to champion the cause, demanding additional research, involving friends and family in every aspect.
The cancers that have very low survival rates take a hit because the families of those who live and die from "orphan" cancers - not even taking into consideration those who are fighting it - are usually too exhausted to even think about championing the cause. My family certainly was. When my brother was fighting, we didn't have time to do anything else but help him. After he died, well, I think we were all so exhausted from the battle that we just needed a break from it...good or bad, that's the way it was.
Lung cancer - the type you have - doesn't get the attention it needs. And until my friend was diagnosed, I assumed that lung cancer was the result of poor lifestyle habits. So, those of us who know differently need to get the word out about these variations. I try and I hope those who follow you will try, too.
Keep writing...
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