Did you know that lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the United States? This year lung cancer will kill nearly twice as many women as breast cancer and more than three times as many men as prostate cancer, an average of 439 people each day, yet lung cancer research received less than five percent of the National Cancer Institute's budget in recent years. And did you know that one in ten men and one in five women who develop lung cancer are non-smokers?
The money raised by the Lung Hill Run, which will take place Nov. 13 in Kansas City, Mo., and is sponsored by LUNGevity, will not only go to lung cancer research but also towards education and awareness of lung cancer, both of which are essential to break down the stigma that surrounds this terrible disease.
My mother was part of the 20 percent of lung cancer victims who never smoked. My mother, who was an RN and pioneered hospice and palliative care in our small, rural Missouri county, was also never exposed to second-hand smoke, yet the stigma of lung cancer was always there. It was there on the face of strangers with good intentions of providing support when they found out that she wasn't a breast cancer patient but a lung cancer patient. It was there in the voice of the summer camp counselor who asked me if my mom's illness was deterring me from ever smoking. Lung cancer patients are already fighting for their lives, they don't need to fight against an ignorant public who judges them for getting a disease that could truly strike anyone at any time.
My best friend has already signed up to participate in the 5K competition in memory of my mother and I've volunteered my time to work at water stations and registration booths. For more information on the race, including how to register and/or volunteer, visit the Lung Hill Run website.
Tagged: lung cancer, cancer research, 5K
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