Leroy Sievers has had an illustrious bunch of titles in his previous life as a veteran newsman, including former Executive Producer of Nightline. But today, we'll be talking to him as the leader of an online community connected by the hardest news anyone is likely to get: a cancer diagnosis. Sievers has become something of a support celebrity, writing a daily NPR blog called My Cancer since February 2006, discussing how he's surviving; good days and bad days. Today he'll be in studio 4A in front of an audience of people who are all part of the My Cancer community he's created, and he'll have a chance to talk with people he may know already from comments on his blog, as well as those who also are detailing their struggles with the disease, like Lauren Terrazzano. Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, will also join the conversation, and we hope you'll weigh in here too, if cancer has been a part of your life.
Blog of the Nation
I hope we don't get into holding cancer patients to some artificial standard of courage or optimism. Cancer is bad. We don't need to make things worse by being critical of someone wearing a pink ribbon or feeling self pity which is most likely a helpful defense mechanism. Hopefully, we can be supportive of all the ways of responding.
Regarding the issue of if the diagnosis of metastatic cancer can mean a death sentence, its important not to gloss over the fact that a metastatic cancer diagnosis really is a death sentence for thousands of people each year. My own mother was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer (currently only a 7% survival rate after 5 years) that had metastasized to her bones and lymph nodes. She was diagnosed in August 2004, by February the cancer cells had spread to her brain, and she passed away that following May. As important as the new treatments and maintenance drugs are for those already diagnosed with cancer, they are also pushed by the pharmaceutical giants. The emphasis needs to remain on prevention, not just on treatment.
As a woman who had cancer nearly 20 years ago, I have been carrying around the dirty secret that I HATE to be called a "survivor." During my radiation treatment, I sat in a waiting area with the same women for several weeks and decided that having cancer made them incredidbly manipulative with their families and those who loved them. In the years since, I have felt the residuals of my cancer with what I call "The gift that keeps on giving": higher insurance costs, recurring cellulitis infections in my left arm, an intolerance for hot weather which worsens the edema in that arm and a host of other distractions. But, I am NOT a "survivor," as I feel it is a term of victimization, especially among women who have had non-recurring breast cencer. Is a diabetic a "survivor" or merely living with a disease? Is a schizophrenic a "survivor" or living with a condition? I am happily "living" in Door County Wisconsin.
I just wanted to comment on a caller from Portland. The woman sounded as if all people are the pity me type. Although I may be one of those, I just believe that there are many people out there when they hear they maybe diagnosed with cancer is just reacting. I admire the oncologist who treat people with dignity, kindness and respecting a persons' emotions. When I was told that I needed to have a biopsy on my cervix, my first thught went to my then 3 year old daughter...I just started crying because I had lost my husband a year before and did not know who would take care of my child. The nurse was very impersonal and told me to buck up because chances were the spot she found my not be precancerous. The woman caller from Portland who works in the radiation department reminded me of that woman.
I appreciate this show and would like to add a question about an aspect of cancer that would benefit from this show. I wonder what is happening, with all of this fabulous networking among cancer patients and survivors, I wonder if there is time between surviving to give attention to the environmental toxicity due to our past and current manufacturing modalities?
When people who face cancer unite and speak up against causes of cancer, such as environmental pollution, they are a very powerful voice. They help prevent cancer for future generations, giving the world a great gift. People who face cancer are uniquely situated to spread this powerful kind of love.
I'd like to ask the broader cancer community, those participating in todays program, and especially politioans like Elizabeth Edwards how we can get the government to use the $250 billion dollars from the tobacco industry settlement for cancer research. None of it is being used now. Consider the following facts.
In 2006, 175,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer and 160,000 will die from it.
More Americans will die from lung cancer than from breast, colon and prostate cancer combined. Lung cancer represents about one-third of all cancer deaths.
15%-20% of those being diagnosed with lung cancer never smoked. 80% of these ???never smokers??? are women.
Only 15% of lung cancer patients will be diagnosed early enough to survive five years or more, compared with the five year survival rates of 88% breast cancer, 98% for prostate, and 64% for colon cancer.
There are no established early detection methods for lung cancer
Federal research funding for lung cancer dwarfs that of other cancers about $2,000 per death vs. $23,000 for breast, $14,000 for prostate and $5,000 for colon.
Of the $250 billion to be paid to states from the first tobacco industry settlement, none of it was earmarked for cancer research and little is being used for smoking cessation education. The majority of the awards are being used to balance state budgets and fund projects like roads, bridges and prisons.
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