{"id":39,"date":"2010-12-03T17:00:09","date_gmt":"2010-12-03T17:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theloungeisback.wordpress.com\/?p=39"},"modified":"2010-12-03T17:00:09","modified_gmt":"2010-12-03T17:00:09","slug":"lung-cancer-doesnt-just-kill-smokers-the-story-of-jill-costello","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=39","title":{"rendered":"Lung cancer doesn’t just kill smokers — The story of Jill Costello"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Chris Ballard had an excellent article<\/a> in this week’s Sports Illustrated. (Normally, I’m not a big fan of Chris Ballard’s stuff, some of it I find kind of trite, but this was his best article yet.).<\/p>\n

Ballard wrote about a young coxswain for the University of California, Jill Costello, who led her rowing team to a Pac-10 championship, and to the national championship meet, while battling lung cancer.<\/p>\n

I knew as soon as I started reading the article how it was going to end. Lung cancer has one of the lowest survival rates. Why? Part of the reason is because not a lot of research dollars go into lung cancer as compared to other kinds of cancer. Why? Because lung cancer has a stigma. Because many people still assume anyone who gets lung cancer deserves it.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Jill Costello was one of the 20 percent of women who get lung cancer who are non-smokers. About 15 percent of the people, male and female, who get lung cancer are non-smokers. Some studies have suggested that lung cancer is genetic. If you have a certain gene, and you smoke, there is a very high likelihood you are going to get lung cancer. If you don’t have the gene and smoke, you will probably never get lung cancer — but you will still get all the heart disease and COPD and other kinds of cancer smoking causes. If you have the gene and don’t smoke, you are at increased risk for lung cancer — not as much as if you smoked — but still an increased risk. Jill probably had the gene.<\/p>\n

Jill battled her illness, and, more dramatically, the myriad side-effects of the chemotherapy, while continuing to compete for the Cal rowing team. It was a heart-wrenching article for me, having watched a parent go through this 30 years ago.<\/p>\n

Like I said, I knew the story would end a certain way. Cal did not win the national championship. They came in fourth, and a month after the national championships, Jill died at the age of 23.<\/p>\n

One of the things I’ve come to appreciate when I started getting involved in tobacco issues is how much stigma there is attached to lung cancer; how many times people with lung cancer have to answer the question, “are you a smoker?” I’ve since gone to great lengths to avoid attaching blame to smokers who get lung cancer. It isn’t there fault they took up a bad habit in their teens that turned out to be physically addicting. We all did dumb things in our teen years, but most of us can laugh about it. A smoker trying to quit, or a smoker with cancer, it’s not a laughing matter when they look back and say, “Why did I start smoking when I was 15?”<\/p>\n

So, all I ask is if you know someone with lung cancer, just don’t ask them, “are you a smoker?”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chris Ballard had an excellent article in this week’s Sports Illustrated. (Normally, I’m not a big fan of Chris Ballard’s stuff, some of it I find kind of trite, but this was his best article yet.). Ballard wrote about a young coxswain for the University of California, Jill Costello, who led her rowing team to … Continue reading Lung cancer doesn’t just kill smokers — The story of Jill Costello<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[35],"tags":[140,599,182],"class_list":["post-39","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lung-cancer","tag-jill-costello","tag-lung-cancer","tag-sports-illustrated"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4hpEa-D","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2652,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=2652","url_meta":{"origin":39,"position":0},"title":"NBC News: The continuing stigma of lung cancer and lack of funding for lung cancer research","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"November 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a really heartbreaking story. There is a stigma surrounding lung cancer like no other cancer which is reflected in the lack of funding for lung cancer research compared to breast cancer and other kinds of cancer. The reason why is pretty obvious: \"Well, people who get lung cancer\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lung cancer"","block_context":{"text":"Lung cancer","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/141106-emily-taylor-ned-1441_33bffbc79bd9945ae38b102b2427c6d1.nbcnews-ux-680-520.jpg?fit=680%2C510&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/141106-emily-taylor-ned-1441_33bffbc79bd9945ae38b102b2427c6d1.nbcnews-ux-680-520.jpg?fit=680%2C510&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/141106-emily-taylor-ned-1441_33bffbc79bd9945ae38b102b2427c6d1.nbcnews-ux-680-520.jpg?fit=680%2C510&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3128,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=3128","url_meta":{"origin":39,"position":1},"title":"Arrrggghhh — Sports Illustrated April 20 edition: An ad for cigarettes, followed by an ad about lung cancer","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"April 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 This made my head explode. Sports Illustrated's policies on tobacco advertising are starting to make my head explode. We all know SI takes tobacco advertising -- a LOT of tobacco advertising. Not only do you find cigarette ads in nearly every issue, you will also find chewing tobacco ads\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Natural American Spirit"","block_context":{"text":"Natural American Spirit","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=493"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Si-ads.jpg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Si-ads.jpg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Si-ads.jpg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Si-ads.jpg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Si-ads.jpg?fit=1200%2C849&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":881,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=881","url_meta":{"origin":39,"position":2},"title":"The lung cancer and nicotine genes","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"February 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I mentioned the \"lung cancer gene.\" This is interesting stuff to me, and exciting for a potential cure to lung cancer, the No. 1 cancer killer. Several years ago, researchers isolated a gene mutation that appears to mark whether you are at risk for lung cancer. One of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lung cancer"","block_context":{"text":"Lung cancer","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DNA.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DNA.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DNA.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DNA.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/DNA.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1204,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=1204","url_meta":{"origin":39,"position":3},"title":"The stigma of lung cancer — do smokers “deserve” lung cancer? (No!)","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"October 30, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"A very interesting opinion piece that I can personally relate to, about the continuing stigma of lung cancer. I have on a number of occasions no matter how incredibly hard I try to bend over backward to not attack smokers or act superior to smokers either online or in real\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "American Lung Association"","block_context":{"text":"American Lung Association","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=6"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/131029143116-lung-cancer-story-top.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/131029143116-lung-cancer-story-top.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/131029143116-lung-cancer-story-top.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2904,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=2904","url_meta":{"origin":39,"position":4},"title":"Medicare will now cover lung cancer screenings","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"February 6, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"You mean they weren't already? Seriously? Isn't preventing disease a lot cheaper and more efficient than treating it? Anyway, Medicare today announced that it will begin covering lung cancer screening tests. Catching lung cancer early -- very<\/i> early --\u00a0has long been known as the best way to combat it. Medicare\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lung cancer"","block_context":{"text":"Lung cancer","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/copd-lungs-x-ray.jpg?fit=1200%2C957&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/copd-lungs-x-ray.jpg?fit=1200%2C957&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/copd-lungs-x-ray.jpg?fit=1200%2C957&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/copd-lungs-x-ray.jpg?fit=1200%2C957&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/copd-lungs-x-ray.jpg?fit=1200%2C957&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3972,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=3972","url_meta":{"origin":39,"position":5},"title":"Not surprising — Southerners most likely to die from smoking-related cancers","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"October 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a bit from the \"Well ... duh\" department. A new study from the American Cancer Society shows that Southern states have the highest death rates from cancers caused by smoking. Forty percent of the cancer deaths for men in Arkansas are smoking -related cancers, while 29 percent of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cancer"","block_context":{"text":"Cancer","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=11"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/NASCAR-smoking.jpg?fit=1024%2C696&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/NASCAR-smoking.jpg?fit=1024%2C696&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/NASCAR-smoking.jpg?fit=1024%2C696&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/NASCAR-smoking.jpg?fit=1024%2C696&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}