These are the websites I found helpful. I do not vouch for their accuracy or endorse products, procedures, services, or medical advice given through these links. Do not substitute my opinion or those found on these websites for those of your personal physician.
The Conspiracy Theory Puzzle
Have you ever been puzzled by the “Big Pharma conspiracy theory?” I’ve lost count of the numerous times I heard accusations on social media that there’s a conspiracy between doctors and Big Pharma to hide the cure they’ve found for cancer so they can continue to rake in money through treatments and medications. I find that hard to believe. Doctors and biopharmaceutical employees and their families get cancer and use the same treatments they recommend to the public. If a cure existed yet, they would be using it themselves. But they die from the disease just like anyone else.
I’d like to fill you in on what my husband and I experienced firsthand and put the conspiracy theory to rest.
Progress in Treating Lung Cancer
Although there’s never a good time to have cancer, this is an exciting era with scientific breakthroughs becoming increasingly common that extend the quality of life for survivors. I have hope that a cure for the disease will be found in the near future. Researchers continue to make great strides in understanding the biology behind cancer and developing new ways to deal with it. Treatments that didn’t exist just a few years prior to my husband’s diagnosis saved his life. He achieved “no evidence of disease” three times, and he lived six years instead of just six months.
Lung Cancer Statistics
Be honest. When you hear that someone was diagnosed with lung cancer, is your first thought, “I’ll bet they smoked”? You would be amazed to know the number of times Chris was immediately asked, “Did you ever smoke?” His answer: “Never.”
10% to 15% of new lung cancer cases are among never-smokers.
60% to 65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers.
The Key to Surviving Lung Cancer
If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer. Early detection is the key to surviving this horrible disease. My late husband was misdiagnosed for three months because his doctors never suspected lung cancer since he had never smoked. By the time he was diagnosed, it was Stage IV and had metastasized to his brain.
Symptoms of Lung Cancer
The signs and symptoms of lung cancer can take years to develop, and they may not appear until the disease is advanced. Some symptoms of lung cancer are in the chest: