Lung Cancer Awareness Month
I struggle with whether or not to do an event to raise money and awareness for lung cancer. I truly believe that we need to be raising funds and awareness for ALL cancers. It's toll is huge-on the person with the cancer and for all those who care for them and about them.
However, I am going to talk a bit about lung cancer...because it needs some funding dollars and education and awareness are key to funding and survival.
According to National Lung Cancer Partnership, lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of women and men in the US, taking more lives than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined. Yet, federal research funding for lung cancer lags behind many other common cancers and common diseases, such that treatments for lung cancer patients - although slowly improving - are insufficient to meet the challenges of this deadly disease.
According to the Lung Cancer Alliance:
National Cancer Institute: 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 benefitted 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: 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 1999-2004, with just $2.1 million appropriated for 2005.
Centers for Disease Control: 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. The 2005 budget includes $0 for lung cancer research.
The total research spending dollars per death in 2005: $23,474/breast cancer, $14,369/prostate cancer, $5,216/colon cancer and $1,829 for lung cancer.
I think these numbers speak for themselves and I will step off my soapbox.
hugs,
c
However, I am going to talk a bit about lung cancer...because it needs some funding dollars and education and awareness are key to funding and survival.
According to National Lung Cancer Partnership, lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of women and men in the US, taking more lives than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined. Yet, federal research funding for lung cancer lags behind many other common cancers and common diseases, such that treatments for lung cancer patients - although slowly improving - are insufficient to meet the challenges of this deadly disease.
According to the Lung Cancer Alliance:
National Cancer Institute: 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 benefitted 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: 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 1999-2004, with just $2.1 million appropriated for 2005.
Centers for Disease Control: 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. The 2005 budget includes $0 for lung cancer research.
The total research spending dollars per death in 2005: $23,474/breast cancer, $14,369/prostate cancer, $5,216/colon cancer and $1,829 for lung cancer.
I think these numbers speak for themselves and I will step off my soapbox.
hugs,
c
posted by Chris in Wyoming @ 8:15 AM
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