Kathryn Joosten, 69, an Emmy Awarding winning actress on Desperate Housewives, has been diagnosed with lung cancer for a second time. A long time smoker, she quit cold turkey when she was orignially diagnosed in 2001. During an annual checkup, the reoccurance was discovered.
Joosten told PEOPLE magazine, "
"My other goal is to try to erase some of the stigma of lung cancer. The first thing everyone says is: 'Did you smoke?' Yeah, I smoked. I smoked because Bette Davis said it was very glamorous. I smoked because it was seen everywhere and done everywhere. I got addicted because the tobacco companies add additives to their tobacco to make it more addictive. I'm damned mad at all of them. But that stigma has to go away."
The American Cancer Society states that smoking is responsible for more than 80% of all lung cancers. There are two major types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non-cell lung cancer. Each type grows and spreads differently and is treated differently. Lung cancer is difficult to diagnose early because symptoms do not appear until the cancer is advanced. Symptoms of lung cancer could be realted to other health issues but any persistant symptom should be evaluated by a phsyician:
- Cough that does not go away and gets worse over time or coughing up blood
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath, wheezing, hoarseness
- Weight loss or loss of appetite
- Fever for an unknown reason
- Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis
Comments
According to the statistics 2/3 of newly diagnosed cases are in never smokers and former smokers who gave up smoking decades ago. I suggest that people who have diagnosis of lung cancer and their families contact the Lung Cancer Alliance - www.lungcanceralliance.org for patient support services - credible information on its website to learn about lung cancer information, counseling and referral services, the community chat room, phone buddy, and clinical matching trials services.
Also, at the website is a form letter - click picture of Capital Building (under Advocacy - Take Action, and sign a form letter to your members of Congress to co-sponsor the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2009.
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