In the past few years, a number of celebs have passed away of Lung Cancer and November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. My mom passed away from this awful disease. Here's some basic facts.


Lung Cancer Facts
http://www.lungcanceralliance.org/

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 three 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

Cancer Research Funding

National Cancer Institute (NCI): In 1971, President Nixon and Congress declared a War on Cancer.
At that time, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death—it still is today. Funding for NCI grew
from $400 million per year in 1971 to $4.78 billion in 2005. Most major cancers have benefited with
increasingly high five-year survival rates.

The underfunding of lung cancer research has kept its survival rate
almost as low as it was in 1971.

Department of Defense (DOD): In 1992, Congress started funding cancer research programs at DOD.
From 1992 to 2004, DOD funding for breast cancer research totaled $1.66 billion. An additional $150
million has been appropriated for 2005. Prostate cancer research totaled $565 million from 1997-2004.
Another $85 million has been appropriated for 2005.

Lung cancer research received only $33 million from 1999 to 2004,
with just $2.1 million appropriated for 2005.

Centers for Disease Control (CDC): Congress also earmarks funding within CDC for
specific cancers. The 2005 budget includes $204 million for breast and cervical cancer research,
$14 million for prostate cancer research, and $14.6 million for colon cancer research.

Thank you for posting this

My sister-in-law died on 23rd July this year from small cell lung cancer caused by smoking. It spread very quickly to her other organs, including her brain and she died within a year of being diagnosed (she was diagnosed in August 2005).

As an ex-smoker I won't preach to the smokers here except to say that if you are thinking of giving up at some point, please do it sooner rather than later. Every day you give yourself without cigarettes will reduce your chances of dying from this awful disease.

Thanks for posting this Rhondab.

Reincarnate said:

The very same thing happened to my mother. When she was diagnosed it had already spread to her liver and later her brain. She died within 9 months of being diagnosed.

Its also an interesting thing that you have more ppl who die from lung cancer than all the major cancers combined and yet there's little interest. Weird.

Rhondab said:

I had an uncle who died from it too.....kinda sad to see him on an oxygen tank in his last days. I felt even worse for his kids....my cousins. They handled it pretty well though.

AnckSuNamun said:

AnckSuNamun and Rhondab - it's importance to increase awareness and hopefully find more funding for cancer research. I hope that someday the disease will be erradicated (actually I'm quite confident that it will). I know it's too late for our relatives but there are so many who could benefit from the message in this thread. Again, thanks for posting it Rhondab.

Thanx Mod

As of today I'm 2 weeks without smoking. Yay me!

And thanks for starting this thread, it was a good reminder of one of the many reasons I'm going thru this hell right now

I should either quit that weed for good or get a vaporizer ASAP...but that thing is too expensive.

Don´t smoke tobacco though, just pure MaryJane....still dangerous.

And I read somewhere that the lungs indeed do go back to normal when you quit but I guess you´re right, maybe that´s just a myth.

Rhondab said:

Lung cancer is also often a metastases from another cancer.

endorphin74 said:

I'm proud of you, well done. I trust you have the strength to get through this

Thank you so much for posting this! I've never smoked, but I know people who have suffered from lung cancer. It's such a horrific disease, and it can strike smokers, and non-smokers alike. Thanks for including the statistics, because it is a real eye opener.

To everyone on here who has lost a loved one to lung cancer, I'm so sorry for your loss, and I'll keep you in my prayers.

Also, best of luck to anyone who is trying to quit smoking. Keep up the good work!

Rhondab said:

I was listening to NPR recently and they were talking about researchers who developed better scans that could detect tumors in their earliest development. Most tumors are not found until they are advanced. Let's hope that science and technology can help battle this awful disease. My prayers to Rhonda, Reincarnate and everyone who has lost someone to cancer

My aunt has lung cancer and has made it a couple months longer now then they expected. Her last scan showed that it has grown so it does not look good. I hope someday they find a cure...

Great thread Rhondab!

I just noticed this sticky after posting my plea 4 prayer 4 my mom who just got diagnosed 3 days ago...

Thanks again Rhonda.

My prayer are with all of you who have lost a loved one to lung cancer, or are battling a cancer. I am a smoker, ( NOT proud of it) and I keep failing miserably at the attempt to quit..but I WILL one day get this monkey off my back..My father-in-law ( who is more like a dad to me than any dad I have EVER had in my life) had 1/2 of his right lung removed roughly 3 years ago, they didn't say it was caused by smoking, just that he had lung caner, Lung cancer seems to "run" in my hubbys family, several family members have passed on due to this disease. It's scary to think it happens like it does...God bless all of you who go through any of this...I will keep you in my prayers...

My sister's father-in-law was just diagnosed with a form of lung cancer recently. He has a tumor the size of a fist on his lung. He's going through treatment now, but they can't say how he'll do. He doesn't smoke either.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

Whateva said:

thanks!

now i'm eating everything in sight...

IrresistibleB1tch said:

Don't worry, you can tackle that problem later, plus eating a bit to much isn't gonna give you cancer. (Do try and stay of the fried stuff though)

Stay strong, you can do it

Whateva said:

thanks, sweetie - you're absolutely right!

IrresistibleB1tch said:

I wish you strength

Serious said:

thanks, Martina!

so far, so good...

Good luck, Martina! Sending you mounds of good non-smoking vibes!!!!

DiminutiveRocker said:

thanks, Barbara!

i don't really have physical withdrawal symptoms - for me, it's more habitual - getting into the car, sitting on the back deck... i want to reach for the ciggies.

I haven't smoked cigarettes for 2 years and pot for 4! I smoke nothing, NOTHING!

KoolEaze said:

Your lungs can recover, and I believe weed is better than cigarettes, too.

But you know weed is bad for you. Even if you don't get cancer there are other problems you can get in your lungs & throat. May be more natural/organic, but you're still putting crap in your lungs.

I remember burning my lungs with the bong, not good.