It's not Pink, It's Lung

Somehow we just keep finding ways to ignore this fact: The biggest killers of women are heart disease and lung cancer. But now, in October,  the pink tsunami begins and we are saturated with pink hues and the fear-based marketing of breast cancer awareness.

But please pause for a minute and consider lung cancer. Yeah, the one that (after colon cancer) no one wants to talk about because it's gross and because we still (come on!) think it only kills smokers. (No it doesn't).

Here, in the New York Times article below (click the link) is an important idea about reducing deaths from lung cancer. The authors McKee and Salner are radiation oncologists. This is public health information.

After you read this we'll talk some more about the cancers that aren't pastel and that don't sell lipstick.

http://nyti.ms/XIoKQ2

Little Rebel Cancer Cell

A story today in New York Times about dentist’s use of radiation. Dentistry radiation is not regulated and the levels in the new machines are higher etc. It got me thinking again about that little cancer cell. It’s that one lone cell that goes off in the wrong direction—that changes—that starts the cancer. That one “trouble-making” cell.


But what if that cell, that little guy is—however misguided—trying to save our lives? I mean, look at what we do—the chemicals we eat all day long, the medications we take all of our lives, the radiation we pour into human bodies to check for cavities and broken bones and acne. All good stuff by themselves. And all the things in our environment that have changed in 50 years. Maybe none of it is dangerous by itself—I am not a “don’t drink out of plastic bottles” girl. But what might be the collective effect?

And that one cell—Brave? Misguided? Hopeful? Says, “No” and heads for the door. “I am gonna change”, she says. And yes the door turns out to be a wall or a cliff—but the little cell says, “Enough, I’m changing.”

Can you blame her, really?

The little cell tries something new—tries growing—tries changing—and it starts a reaction that becomes cancer.

Haven’t we all done this? Had enough of the pain, the problems, the same old same old and said—“That’s it I’m trying something, anything”. We tried to go blonde when we had olive skin, or tried to lose weight using diet pills. Or we tried plastic surgery or Botox. Enough said. We have all done bad relationships, bad jobs, joined groups that turned out to be cults or just enormous wastes of time. We say, “It’s just part of growth” when we do it or our favorite nephew does it.

But the little cell that tries to change—we declare a war on her.

Coaching Cancer

Last night a very moving moment on ESPN. Coach George Karl of the Denver Nuggets spoke passionately about his experience with cancer. First prostate and then throat and neck cancers. He spoke about being a man committed to winning and making a career pushing himself and others to be strong and win every time. He spoke movingly about the kind of winners and fighters he met in cancer treatment rooms and said, “I was not the bravest one in those rooms, many are braver than me facing those treatments for cancer.”

He addressed the live audience and the ESPN viewing audience asking for government commitment to fight cancer. And he asked that the United States government match dollar-for-dollar what is raised by the American Cancer Society and other cancer foundations.

What stood out was how much this big, strong man had suffered in his cancer treatment and was still suffering in his recovery from treatment. We so often forget that part. People with cancer have to survive both the cancer and the sometimes quite brutal treatments for cancer. That second phase can take a very long time.