Disturbing

Some new numbers are available, courtesy of LUNGevity Foundation.  To date, The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Fund has been publishing total federal research spending on certain cancers as compared to lung cancer.  The last year we had data for was FY 2007.  Thanks again to LUNGevity for publsihing FY 2009 numbers.  The trend for lung cancer is disturbing at best.

5-Year Survival Rates

Breast:  87%

Prostate:  99%

Lung:  15%

On a related note:  The Tobacco Settlement money is not going toward lung cancer research.  Over the next 25 years, the Master Settlement Agreement will pay $246 Billion to the 50 States (and the District of Columbia).   In 1999, a unanimous federal resolution passed stating the commitment "to spending a significant portion of the tobacco settlement funds on smoking cessation programs, health care, education, and programs benefiting children." Sadly, none of the money has been dedicated to lung cancer research and only 0.65% is earmarked for federal research into tobacco and other substance abuse.

Help us fight to change this!