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Posted 8/14/2005 3:42 PM (GMT 0)
We all have a great respect for Lance Armstrong and his accomplishments, but I just watched him on "This Week" on ABC news, and he made me a little upset when he said we needed to spend more money on Cancer research than we are presently doing. Sorry, but I am really peeved that we continue with the "cut and kill with chemo" routine instead of really curing this disease. Below is my comment:

"I am writing in response to Lance Armstrong's comment that more money is needed for cancer research and money could be better utilized by this country. This comment was made on Sunday's This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

 

I do not believe that more money is needed for cancer research, but I do believe the monies spent for cancer research should be better utilized. If a ware on cancer was declared in 1971, what has happened to all the money allocated since then? With all the money spent in the past 34 years, you would think that we would have a cure by now.

 

Why do I feel this way? I'll tell you why. In 1981 my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer -- no mammogram involved with the diagnoses. She had surgery. My sister had regular mammograms, but in 1999 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had the same surgery as my aunt, but had breast reconstruction. In December 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had the same surgery as my aunt, but without reconstruction. And no, we were all past the age of 50 when diagnosed, so it is not a situation of inherited disease. Not much progress against this disease, if you ask me."

 

If we had been spending the money on the RIGHT research, instead of frivolously on wild ideas from researchers trying to just get funding for their fiefdoms, perhaps we would have cured all types of this multifaceted disease by now.

 

Judy

Birmingham, AL

Posted 8/14/2005 3:52 PM (GMT 0)

Judy: I agree with your thoughts. Sure, we are being given little crumbs w/ new treatments and gene linkage. I believe that one of the reasons that a cure has not been found is that the pharmac. cos, which get a great deal of monies, would take a great monetary loss of a cure for cancer was found. Also, my personal feelings again, is that a breast cancer cure would be found if more men were diagnosed with this disease. At least some one famous! Look how quickly new drugs were found for prostate cancer. Guess right now we are the wrong sex! lol

Deb

Posted 8/14/2005 3:55 PM (GMT 0)

Also, notice how far AIDS has come since 1982.

Judy

Posted 8/14/2005 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with Judy.....we need the money to be used wisely. And surely someone could come up with something better than "cutting it off" and killing all fast growing cells. Some new chemo, dose dense, and hormone treastments help but basically it is the same routine treatments. ALL extremely expensive!

I wish I was a chemist or someone who could invent what we need. There HAS to be a better and easier way!!!

Beth
Posted 8/15/2005 11:01 PM (GMT 0)
Judy- I agree. let's stop funding for ERECTIONS and re-allocate all that to cancer research!!
:-)
Stefanie
Posted 8/16/2005 2:18 PM (GMT 0)

I don't post much here, I mostly just read this board and the MS board for my son. I had breast cacner 6 years ago and I have seen the imporvements in treatment in only those 6 years.

I watched that show and was glad that LA said he was going to fight for more cancer research. That is what we need.

I don't see why you would be angry at that. They now have herceptin and arimidex and avastin- all new since my coming down with cancer. Those are not frivilous drugs- they are saving lives.

I think we need to all fight for more cancer research. I don't understand what is wrong with that.

Sure I would like to end the cut and burning you tlaked about. But so far i am still alive and I am grateful.

Martha

Posted 8/16/2005 4:09 PM (GMT 0)

I am grateful, too. But I do not want my thirty-three year old daughter, my nieces and my great nieces to go through the same butchery type surgery that my aunt, my sister and I have. Money is not the issue. There is enough money out there to find the cure, just as there is enough money to educate our children -- if they used it properly. Again, if meaningful cancer research were funded perhaps a type of drug could be discovered that would prevent the disease instead of treat it after cancer and today's "modern" treatments have devastated the body. In other words, researchers who think outside the box should be rewarded with more money. In this way we will get a cure, not just a treatment. 

JUJU

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