Tone Deaf on Lung Cancer
I have been involved in cancer research and advocacy for many years. I try to never disparage any cancer advocacy groups that raise money to fund research and other programs to help cancer patients and their families. We're all in this together. However, the American Cancer Society (ACS) came out with a recent survey asking "What cancer issues do you care about most? I was so disappointed that lung cancer was not even mentioned as an issue! Here is the survey: My lung cancer diagnosis was in 1998, and I had a positive outcome - no spread to lymph nodes, no chemotherapy - and my lobectomy was difficult but a small price to pay. And I have lived a life of gratitude ever since, so I don't enjoy being critical of cancer organizations that have a role to play. I just get tired of the stigma attached to lung cancer as a smokers disease and when the ACS put out this survey, it totally played right into the stigma. According to the ACS's own statistics , nearly 160,0