Filed under:
lung cancer, Prevention
Traditionally,
lung cancer is considered a man's
disease. But
lung cancer
is the leading cause of cancer death for women. Women Against
lung cancer, WALC, is working to raise awareness of
the
lung cancer epidemic for women, increase funding for
lung cancer research, and encourage professionals,
particularly women, to go into and be successful in
lung cancer research, treatment and care.
"Women just don't think about
lung cancer as a risk to their health," says Dr. Joan Schiller, University of
Wisconsin-Madison professor of medicine, who is frustrated by the lack of attention to
lung cancer issues for women.
"There is no single, accepted screening technique to catch lung cancers early. I treat
lung cancer patients all
the time who got mammograms every year but ignored their constant cough." Dana Reeve had
a persistent cough before she was diagnosed with
lung cancer.
Dr. Schiller is equally frustrated by the lack
of research funding for
lung cancer. "
lung cancer, the biggest cancer killer in this country, receives ten times
less funding per death than
breast cancer research, and 30 times less per death than HIV/AIDS research. It gets
frustrating to tell patients that I have run out of treatment options for them. Something needs to be done," said
Dr. Schiller.
Women Against
lung cancer was formed as a result of Dr.
Schiller, and her colleagues, frustration about the lack of attention and funding for the
lung cancer epidemic in
women.
