Lung Cancer Guilt

CBS News Sunday Morning had a special on cancer recently. Comparing incidence, funding, research on Lung cancer, breast cancer and other forms.


On the program, Dr. Harvey Katz of the New York Cancer Institute reported that 5 year survival rate is up slightly and life span is increasing.

The stigma of self-inflicted cancer is attached to lung cancer. The smoker had a choice and made a bad choice either from laziness or ignorance. This has meant that, even with the tobacco settlement, lung cancer receives less research funding that breast cancer, barely a tenth.


With all the progress in education lung cancer is still a result of smoking. Here's what we hadn't been told until now. it's essential to quit smoking as soon as humanly possible, but it's no guarantee of safety no matter how early you quit. I'm not the first to avoid cigarettes for 33 years and get caught in this trap. Women non-smokers are not safe. Children of smokers are not safe. I lived with Carolyn in my house for 15 years before I quit, with Michelle for 9 years and Jody for 2 years. Today, 15% of lung cancer patients are non smokers, but the cause is still smoking.

People live for their future hopes and what tomorrow may bring. Until deliveration day when dreams are ours for the taking. The dreams have to be ready to come true, the hopes to come to pass; all the pieces to fit together. There is always a monkey wrench that doesn't loosen or tighten just right. Those funny little adjustments to the plan; not quite enough money to winter in Florida. Hold the cruise till next year. So many couples I've seen have had to face up to sudden illness or sudden financial surprise.


Some have adjusted to regular interruptions to their lives for tests, more chemo, ect... Who can tell. More surprises to come, maybe even a good surprise like an increased 5 year survival rate.