I learned about a Senate bill yesterday that captured my interest. Introduced by Sen. Ted Kennedy, SB 717, the 21st Century Cancer ALERT Act (Access to Life-Saving Early Detection, Research and Treatment) is currently before committee. Hopefully this bill will make it out of committee and put before a Senate vote.
One of the major components of this bill is the early detection aspect. There’s no argument that early detection is one of the best tools in beating cancer. I’ve seen it first-hand. Even though it’s been a fifteen year battle, my initial Hodgkin’s diagnosis was a stage I, and I’m still here. My father was diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer and two years out is doing very well. Even my sweet little Bichon was diagnosed with early stage lymphoma and after a year of chemo has beaten the odds and is also two years past diagnosis. His veterinary oncologist (yes, even my furry boy has an oncologist) continues to be amazed and attributes his terrific response in part to the early detection.
Unfortunately, not all cancers have early detection methods. While tremendous strides have been made in detecting lymphoma, prostate, and breast cancer (among others) there are still several cancers that are all but invisible at an early stage. Ovarian cancer is one of those. Since there is no screening method, a diagnosis often times isn’t made until the cancer has spread. The Aspen Daily News reports, “According to the American Cancer Society, when ovarian cancer is detected locally, the survival rate is 92 percent; however, only 1 in 5 cases are detected at this stage, dropping the overall five-year survival rate to only 45 percent. Mortality rates are even more disturbing for lung and pancreatic cancers.”
According to Marisa Post of the Aspen Daily News, “Cancer will claim the lives of more than a half million people this year, or about 1,500 people a day. In all, 40 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, including approximately 1.4 million new cases this year alone.”
I’m one of those 40 percent, as was my friend Julie. We were friends BC (before cancer) and used to compare surgeries and treatment notes, laugh together in the infusion room, and discuss things that only someone who has been there would understand. Julie lost her battle with ovarian cancer more than a year ago. She was one of the 80 percent who was diagnosed after the cancer had spread. Today would have been Julie’s 40th birthday.
Perhaps with the passage of the Cancer ALERT Act, one day no one will lose their life to this silent killer.
