Two beloved voices silenced

[norkdo]

Rich:
your post is insensitive. You coyly wheedle around the fact there is competition between cancers. do u really want to hear a response? many of us on here are in a weakened state and this is insensitive claptrap. You know darn well there is a war for every fundraising dollar and you, my dear, are in the wrong camp. I donated tons, in the days when i had money to Aids. Now that Aids in the west, at least, not in Africa and all over the world, raised enough money to progress wAY ahead of b.c, the number two killer of the women it is our turn. period.
We dealt with the most threatening health problem, Aids. Poor people now still die from Aids but in the West, Aids mortality has really dropped. Now we deal with the next biggest threat after heart attacks to women: b.c. our turn. period.

[Rich66]

Wow,
Sorry you took it that way. If you're cool with a competition between cancers, so be it. Maybe having dealt with my Dad's prostate cancer simultaneously with my mom's breast cancer, shortly after my siter-in-law's Ovarian cancer...I have my own personal perspective. Who's "turn" is it? Hell..every cancer patient's turn.
I happen to think the most benefit for all will happen when the focus is on commonality between cancers and ways to use that against cancer. As an a example, your donations to AIDS research years ago may have indirectly helped breast cancer. Viracept, an early AIDS drug has been shown to have effect against breast cancer cells as well as aiding radiation in pancreatic cancers. Yet, I don't hear much more about it despite an antiviral approach with available and relatively inexpensive meds would be a breakthrough and potentially suggest how it starts. Personally, I get discouraged, not encouraged, when focus goes to counting the myriad diseases within a disease. That strikes me as great for cell labs..but not so great for patients. The research dollars are limited..best to use what's there in a way that benefits the most cancer patients.

[Laurel]

Amy,

I too wonder if the whole "pink" movement does not offer up the impression that all breast cancer is these days is a bit of radiation following a not very disfiguring lumpectomy, and a few years of Tamoxifen and off we all go for a long, albeit modestly interrupted by B.C., life. Of course, we here on Her2Support know that is NOT the case, although I am sure we all fervently wish it was. I do appreciate the effort to "speak" through all the pink to make the general public more aware of B.C. Years ago when my Aunt Olive died of this evil disease in 1973 breast cancer was still discussed in low voices if at all.

Goodness, when you think about the social stigma of cancer in general and especially reproductive cancers we have come a long way in acknowledging their existence. There is willingness to discuss prostate cancer and its aftermath, not much mind you, but more than previously. We still whisper about the loss of sexual function that is common with prostate cancer. Actually, come to think of it, even now we only elude to the loss of sexual function that is associated with the treatment of hormone positive B.C.

I will say that Rich is being honest when he asks about support for the treatment of all cancers. Surprisingly so many are interrelated. Herceptin has been used with other cancers that are Her2 positive and has spawned a whole generation of new monoclonal research into beating cancer by not slashing and burning. Conversely, more research is going into other methods, such as nano delivery systems, etc., to beat back the many headed hydra that is cancer.

I have a dear friend who developed a small area on the underside of his 2nd toe. He showed it to his physician at his annual physical. His G.P. shrugged it off as nothing to be concerned about. Two years later he showed it again to another physician in the practice at his annual and this physician was deeply concerned stating he was certain it was malignant melanoma. Sadly, that M.D. was correct. Now my friend has metastatic melanoma which some of you may know is unbelievably deadly. I urged him to get into a trial and he is now down at NCI undergoing a tough, tough treatment with a 30% effective rate which sounds abysmal but in fact is huge in the war against melanoma. At present his prognosis is still very bleak.

We in the cancer community are just that, a community. We belong arm in arm yoked by our mutual accursed state having been called to personally battle this scourge. To all the many warriors pink or not, I am so grateful to their dedication and commitment to this war.

[suzan w]

Thank you for this thread...very important stuff. As a 'no-breasted woman' I need courage and support to ''take my shirt off'.