Just got done writing a letter to the editor of the Gainesville Sun in response to an article about lung cancer hitting a non-smoker. Here is the letter. I guess I can say it is published regardless of whether the Sun deems it fit for publication.

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I want to thank you for your article about Caren Gorenberg and her struggle with lung cancer as a non-smoker. Caren’s fight is one that I am very familiar with as my wife of 10 years, Dianne, is an 18 month survivor of lung cancer. She is only 40 years old and is a life long non-smoker. Dianne and I have learned much about lung cancer in the last year and a half and have been surprised as many of your readers were to learn that lung cancer hits non-smokers as well a life-long smokers in devastating numbers.

In fact, if lung cancer in never-smokers were classified as its own disease, it would rank as the 6th deadliest cancer in the U.S., with more deaths (est. 23,905) in 2009 than leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, liver cancer, and ovarian cancer. Overall, lung cancer is far and away the number one cancer killer in the U.S. with over 152,000 (est) deaths in 2009 of smokers and non-smokers. Lung cancer kills as many people as the next four types of cancer, combined. Yet, lung cancer funding remains dismal. Funding for lung cancer treatment is less than 10% that of prostate cancer and only 5% of that for breast cancer when weighted on a per death basis.

I believe that the biggest problem facing lung cancer patients today is that most people believe that it is still a smoker’s disease. And smokers somehow deserve to get cancer. I am very aware that when telling my wife’s story, I am always sure to mention that she never smoked a day in her life; as I am sure you would too. It will only be when Americans stops thinking of lung cancer as a disease that smokers deserve; will there be true changes in the political will to dedicate the dollars needed for research to cure this horrible disease.

Joe Caridi

SOURCE:

Lung Cancer Alliance, http://www.lungcanceralliance.org

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