Proclaiming A Need

For Lung Cancer Awareness

By Nancy K. Crevier

Friday, October 29, Newtown resident Glorianne Garvin, received notice that a proclamation dear to her, and due to her efforts, had been issued by Governor Dannel P. Malloy. In recognition of National Lung Cancer Awareness month, November, Ms Garvin had pursued a proclamation from the state, urging Connecticut residents to join efforts to further lung cancer research and find a cure for the leading cancer killer in the United States.

Ironically, even before her husband, Xavier, was diagnosed in August 2010 with a 9 by 13 centimeter adenocarcinoma of the lung, Ms Garvin had been involved in the Lung Cancer Partnership and had been an advocate to ensure that people never start smoking. “I ‘Tweet,’ at @LCSmokeSignals, and I update regularly on my Facebook page, Lung Cancer Smoke Signals, about lung cancer. Lung Cancer Smoke Signals can be ‘friended’ and/or ‘liked’ on Facebook. My advocacy is really grassroots at this point, but I want to get more information out via social media about smoking cessation,” Ms Garvin said. The proclamation will reach more people, too, she hopes.

“It’s important for people to know the facts,” said Ms Garvin. According to information from the National Lung Cancer Partnership, more than 220,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with lung cancer. Lung cancer kills more people than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined, and accounts for 27 percent of all cancer deaths.

“Applying for the proclamation was a simple process. I wanted for our government to attain awareness of lung cancer. I wanted better awareness across the state. What are elected officials doing to make awareness a priority? How do they support advocacy, and what kind of state funding for lung cancer research is in place?” she asked. The amount of money allocated to lung cancer research is traditionally low in comparison to other cancers, despite its highly deadly outcome, she said.

“By the verbiage of the proclamation, Connecticut now makes lung cancer awareness a priority,” said Ms Garvin.

Although nonsmokers can get lung cancer (approximately ten percent of those diagnosed), the majority of patients diagnosed with lung cancer, said Ms Garvin, are or were smokers, meaning that by preventing people from ever starting to smoke, many lives could be saved. Her husband smoked for three decades before quitting in 2009. But former smokers still retain a risk of getting lung cancer for 30 years after ceasing smoking. Her husband was one of the unlucky former smokers in that group.

One of the reasons that lung cancer is so deadly, said Ms Garvin, is that symptoms can be subtle and easily confused with other, less serious, illnesses. Her husband had been plagued with a dry cough, shortness of breath, and was easily tired over the entire summer of 2010, but was treated symptomatically. When his symptoms were not relieved satisfactorily, a chest x-ray was finally ordered. “Lung cancer did not even cross our minds when his symptoms first appeared,” she said.

The x-ray showed a huge mass in his lung, a stage 3A lung cancer. They were told, however, that his lung cancer was one considered potentially curable.

From September 2010 to April 2011, her husband underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment, with great response. This allowed him to undergo surgery in May 2011 to remove the upper right section of his lung, and a resection of the middle and lower lobe on that side.

“There is no evidence now of any remaining disease,” Ms Garvin said. “We are extremely lucky.”

 As a guideline provided by Lung Cancer Partnership, symptoms that could signal lung cancer can be recognized through the acronym, B-R-E-A-T-H-E:

Blood when you cough or spit

Recurring respiratory infections

Enduring cough that is new or different

Ache or pain in shoulder, back, or chest

Trouble breathing

Hoarseness or wheezing

Exhaustion, weakness, or loss of appetite.

Ms Garvin will apply each year for the state proclamation, to be issued each November, she said, in hopes that greater awareness will help put an end to this silent killer.

She urged parents to start conversing early on with their children about tobacco usage. Tips on starting a conversation with teens and preteens can be found at healthfinder.gov.

“We need to let young people and people of all ages know about the dangers of smoking,” Ms Garvin said.

For more information about lung cancer awareness and advocacy, contact lungcancersmokesignals@yahoo.com.