Women and lung cancer--a TV special that overlooks us...

I received the following email from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship...

"This year more than a quarter of a million women will be diagnosed with women’s cancers, and an estimated 69,000 will die from their disease."

"Watch Frosted Pink Sunday October 12 at 4p EST
Olympic gymnasts and Grammy-winning performers will take a stand against cancer in Frosted Pink with a Twist. This nationally televised event will raise awareness and inspire the public to learn more about early detection, prevention, and advancements in treatment for cancers that primarily affect women."

"Call in to RadioWD Monday October 6
Hear more about Frosted Pink while Women's Day magazine interviews NCCS President Cathy Bonner this Monday, October 6 at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time on RadioWD. Call into the show: 347.826.9774."

Here's Steph again...my concern is that lung cancer is killing more women than all the cancers they include and that we share the same issues. Why are we overlooked? I went to the NCCS website (http://www.canceradvocacy.org/community/news/919-nccs-attends-taping-for.ht ml) to "contact us" and wrote them a note explaining my concern. I'd like you to consider doing the same.

I also plan to listen to the radio show (I found it by googling...it appears to be on the Women's Day website), and may try to call and ask why lung cancer is not featured or recognized when it's affecting even more women. Maybe you could too!

Thanks so much!

--Stephanie

By hopefuldaughter
Posted October 3, 2008 at 5:14 pm

This is so infuriating me today. I'm normally generally upset about the state of ignorance with repsect to LC but this really hit a nerve today. I will visit the site.

Thanks for posting this.

By BetsyT
Posted October 3, 2008 at 6:10 pm

Like drowning in Pink wasn't bad enough-Now they have to Frost it ??? Deep, deep breaths-We WILL get through OCTOBER....
Thanks for the link Steph-"Nasty-ish" note is on the way.

By hopefuldaughter
Posted October 3, 2008 at 6:41 pm

My reply....

Dear Cancer Advocacy Team -

I am a woman. I understand the need to educate and support women in their efforts to fight, survive, cure and avoid all types of "women's" cancers. My mother is fighting Stage IV lung cancer. Do you know that lung cancer kills more women than all the cancers you listed combined? I am sure you do and realize, as a cancer advocacy group, that lung cancer is grossly underfunded, misunderstood and difficult (if not impossible) to treat.

I read your press release and was immediately exasperated. "Frosted Pink". It's a cute, fun, lovable term. Great name for an event. Great way to help people not feel uncomfortable when talking about cancer. I am certain that the program will be hugely popular, informative and will ultimately raise awareness and push forward in finding cures. But it stands in stark contrast to the stigma, isolation and hopelessness that lung cancer patients (men included) feel when faced with this disease. Shockingly and embarrassingly in contrast, if you ask me.

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but I have a hard time imagining in my lifetime (I'm 35) a variety show of Broadway stars, professional athletes and supermodels prancing around dancing and singing about the need to find a cure for lung cancer - with a cute and fuzzy name for the event to boot. I feel hopeless. It's not gonna happen. Or could it? Would an organization like yours take a stand and break down the walls that have been erected around lung cancer patients? I ask you that question. While any cancer awareness effort is most certainly a worthy cause, and I am sure your organization is doing good work toward ending all cancers, please consider raising your efforts with respect to lung cancer to shift the balance in our favor. Actually, not even in our favor. Just to get us some parity. That's all I ask.

By BetsyT
Posted October 3, 2008 at 10:15 pm

Hopeful-Steph,
After you go to "contact us", which e-mail address did you send letter to.? don't know if mine went to right place. Thanks-
Hopeful-Your letter is amazing. You cut right to the heart of it...Betsy

By hopefuldaughter
Posted October 3, 2008 at 10:25 pm

Thanks guys! I sent it to the first email address on the list. I know what you mean, none of them seemed to fit the bill - hoped that if I sent it to the "info" one, it would get to who it needs to.

Pam

By rabeaz
Posted October 4, 2008 at 6:02 am

I'm also going to send in something. Thanks for the heads up. I really think ONE day this LC problem is going to get the beating it deserves.

Best wishes-Laurie

By Charlene1
Posted October 4, 2008 at 1:18 pm

Hi Stephanie,
I have also wrote an email to NCCS asking them to do a program on lung cancer. Don't expect much from them but I hope a lot of people on this site express their views to the NCCS. Let us know if you hear anything. Hugs, Charlene

By jadams
Posted October 5, 2008 at 10:37 am

from the website.........
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an estimated 260,950 women will be diagnosed in 2008 with a women’s cancer. The majority of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer (182,460), followed by endometrial cancer (40,100), ovarian cancer (21,650), cervical cancer (11,070), vulvar cancer (3,460), and vaginal cancer (2,210). The NCI estimates that 68,970 women will die of these cancers during 2008.

Guess we need to tout lung cancer as a "womans cancer"
Yu can believe wrote them with a few statistics of my own.

By survivor
Posted October 5, 2008 at 9:18 pm

Send your letters to: mglim@canceradvocacy.org

Melissa is the Grassroots Advocacy Manager for NCCS. I know she will get them to the correct person.

By jgaynor711
Posted October 6, 2008 at 8:56 am

Hi guys,

I TOTALLY totally feel your pain on this one and am going to write an email as well because if they can do a TV special about these diseases that affect primarily women, why not the BIGGEST women killer, right?

I will say, however, that the focus of their efforts seems to be cancers that affect ONLY women, ie breast (even though some men get it), ovarian, cervical, vaginal and vulva cancers. I think that would be their rationale for not including lung cancer. Men get lung cancer... so it's not a "women's only" cancer.

Everyone has to have a niche, I suppose. ;)

Anyway, the thrust of my email will be that while it's wonderful that they're focusing on women in this way by highlighting cancers that primarily affect women, they should at least have mentioned the one cancer that kills more women than them all... And if not in this "frosted pink" (wretch) TV special, perhaps there should be a TV special devoted to JUST lung cancer. After all, it will end the lives of more women than all of these "women's cancers" combined... More ratings for your advertisers!

Am I being cynical?
;)

Julia

By stephanie410
Posted October 6, 2008 at 2:45 pm

I was able to listen to about half the radio program today. I didn't hear many details on the Frosted Pink program or the type of cancers it will highlight. They talked about when the program is, and then talked very generally about cancer. No big opportunity to educate on lung cancer, specifically, but at least they didn't go heavy on every other cancer.

We'll keep working on them!

--Stephanie

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