war on most lethal cancers

Wednesday night the US House of Representatives passed The Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act of 2012 that would target the most lethal cancers, pancreatic and lung cancer. H.R. 733

To me, it’s not just another piece of legislation – it’s personal. My Dad died of pancreatic cancer in 1997; I was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year.

“Lung Cancer Alliance worked closely with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to secure priority status for lung and pancreatic cancers in the legislation which together cause one in every three cancer deaths and whose 5-year survival rates of 15% and 6% respectively have barely moved since the 1972 launch of the ‘War on Cancer’.” Laurie Fenton Ambrose, LCA

Kudos to Representatives Anna G Eshoo (D-CA), Leonard Lance (R-NJ),  Donna Christensen (D-VI) and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) sponsors of the legislation and all the bipartisan support.

Today, Houston's MD Anderson Cancer Center announced its "Moon Shots Program," aimed at significantly reducing the number of deaths from a handful of cancers (including lung cancer) by the end of this decade.

Pledging the commitment of money ($3 billion) and resources that typified the race to the moon, The Cancer Center will launch the new war on cancer in February 2013.

I certainly cannot speak for anyone else trying to survive lung cancer 'in the now' especially as I am new to all this only diagnosed 7 months ago but whenever mainstream media gets into a cancer frenzy and mortality and survival rates are just statistics tossed into new stories instead of the people they really are and were, I try to read them with appropriate optimism and enthusiasm for the future but I also feel a bit like I am whistling past the graveyard.

by Patrick Leer

BLOGS:

Caregivingly Yours, MS Caregiver @ http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/

My Lung Cancer Odyssey @ http://lung-cancer-survivor.blogspot.com/

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