LungBlog

Ask Kathryn Joosten about lung cancer. Go ahead. After all, the Emmy-nominated “Desperate Housewives” actress has survived it — twice.

“Lung cancer continues to be the least funded in dollars of the four major cancers,” Joosten said, “yet it takes more lives than all of them combined.” To battle that, Joosten and 8-year-old lung cancer survivor Gabby Wilson will be on the oceanfront in Santa Monica on Saturday morning leading a walk/run to benefit lung cancer research.

In our last “sound-off” day, I asked the following question: “What are the top lung cancer questions you would like to have answered by the foremost lung cancer thought-leaders, oncologists, scientists, researchers, etc.?”

Two leading lung cancer organizations unite to push for international efforts to eradicate lung cancer

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — For more than three years, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (http://www.lungcancerfoundation.org) in San Francisco and the Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund (formerly Foundation) in Atlanta, have worked tirelessly back and forth across the country in their efforts to eradicate lung cancer.

For more than three years, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation in San Francisco and the Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund (formerly Foundation) in Atlanta, have worked tirelessly back and forth across the country in their efforts to eradicate lung cancer.

Benjamin Franklin famously remarked that only two things are inevitable: death and taxes. In this era of superior diagnostics, timely treatment, miracle drugs, and breathtaking medical innovation, he might have been tempted to add a third item to the list — serious long-term illness.

Almost every family experiences one: the sort of reverie-piercing, life-rending health event or diagnosis that smacks you upside the head without warning, challenging your finances, belief system, priorities, and plans — frequently when you’re on the phone with your health insurer.

Jennifer Windrum’s video to President Obama asking for a “Beer Summit” – a beer and 15 minutes of his time to talk about the NEW lung cancer. The lung cancer that ANYONE can get. The lung cancer that is no longer a smoker’s disease. The lung cancer that is the #1 cancer killer and the least funded. The lung cancer her mom, Leslie Lehrman, has. No her mom never smoked. The lung cancer that took 22 year-old Jill Costello’s life last month. Jill was coxswain for Cal Women’s Crew and led her team to 2 national championships. The lung cancer Bonnie J Addario, a survivor, has prompted her to start the Bonnie J Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute, where research advances are taking place. Jennifer borrows Jill Costello’s motto of “Ask. Believe. Receive,” in her appeal to meet with the president, saying she she respectfully asks he meet with her, her mother and Bonnie J Addario for 15 minutes…

Yes, I am respectfully asking President Obama for a beer and 15 minutes of his time to talk about lung cancer – the NEW lung cancer – that ANYONE can get.

Please spread the word by posting this video to your personal Facebook profiles and sending to your friends.

Over the last three years, we have learned a great deal about lung cancer advocacy and have been honored to support several organizations that are doing great work.  We are extremely grateful to all of our supporters who have donated to our cause.  It is because of your generosity that we have been able to raise awareness and to fund research initiatives.

While we have funded several excellent organizations and research initiatives during our first three years, our board of directors has decided that we can do the most good for the cause by focusing on one research initiative.  Rather than spreading our financial commitments across various lung cancer projects, channeling our funds to one specific initiative will enable your precious donations to go much further.

Dear Family & Friends,

As many of you know, my mother was diagnosed with stage 3A lung cancer just a little over a year ago. Being an otherwise healthy woman, her diagnosis came as a shock to all of us. After all, we had always thought lung cancer was a “smokers disease” and simply couldn’t happen to someone like my mom, who had NEVER smoked. Luckily, she is now in remission after removal of half her lung & four months of chemo. To celebrate we are going to “break our stride for lung cancer” by walking in the Jog for Jill San Francisco, a 5k race/walk to raise money for the Bonnie J. Addario, A Breath Away From The Cure, Foundation! We invite all of you to celebrate with us by either joining our team, or joining our fundraising efforts. We shot low with a goal of $1,000 because this is a first for us, but would really like to beat that goal! Please follow the link below to either join our team or make a donation:

Smoking is such a well-known cause of lung cancer that many don’t realize thousands who never smoked get the diagnosis. The great majority are women. Recent research shows it’s really a different disease than smoking-related lung cancer. But those with the diagnosis say they suffer the same stigma.

RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

And here’s something else to consider: sometimes breathing problems signal some very serious and unexpected health problems. That’s certainly the case with lung cancer in people who have never smoked.

NPR’s Richard Knox has this story.

RICHARD KNOX: Jo Costello(ph) is 21. She’s a senior at UC Berkeley. She’s a member of the crew team. She never touched a cigarette, but she just got diagnosed with lung cancer.

Ms. JILL COSTELLO (Senior, UC Berkeley): I got back from national championships on June 1st, and then went to the trainer later that week with, like, abdominal bloating and just discomfort.