LA-Story: Kathy Joosten Talks about Lung Cancer and lots more!

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DATE : Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Entered in Database : 2009-12-18 05:00:00
length : 18737280
Link to the Show / Show Notes

Kathy Joosten is a name you might not get right off the top of your head, but you would definitely recognize her from Desperate Housewives, though she isn't like her character except in her forthright and outspoken nature. Kathryn Joosten is currently starring as Mrs. McClusky on the popular, award winning series Desperate Housewives. In 2005 and 2008, Kathryn won an Emmy for her portrayal of the crotchety, gossipy neighbor on the hit ABC comedy. Kathryn was also nominated for a SAG Award for Desperate Housewives in 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2005 Kathryn won a Camie Award (Character and Morality in Entertainment Awards) for her work in the Lifetime Movie, Secret Santa. Kathryn also won an Theatre Los Angeles Ovation Award for her work in the play, "Ladies of the Corridor" in 2000. Prior to joining the Desperate Housewives cast, she was probably best known as Mrs. Landingham, secretary to the President of the United States, (Martin Sheen), on the critically acclaimed and Emmy award winning NBC drama, The West Wing. She has also recurred on "Dharma and Greg", and guest-starred on many hit television series such as My Name Is Earl, Becker, Arli$$, Ally McBeal, Providence, Scrubs, and over twenty other prime time shows. Her credits are impressive for any actor, let alone as part of a career that only began at age 42. I ran into Kathy Joosten at the Buick Regal Launch event and we got to talking about her personal battle with lung cancer and then the conversation took a different sort of turn as we discussed the situation with research on treatments, causes and prevention of lung cancer. Kathy told me of an 8 year old child who had lung cancer-- she certainly didn't smoke, nor did a 21 year old woman who has been diagnosed with the cancer as well. What's really sad is that while there is so much more push for breast cancer, AIDS/HIV, and other cancers, why nothing has been done about lung cancer which has more cancer deaths than all other cancers combined-- according to what Kathy told me and these statistics are verified by the National Lung Cancer Partnership.

Approximately 219,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the U.S. each year - over 103,000 women and nearly 116,000 men.1 Lung cancer kills more than 160,000 people annually - more people than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.1 Lung cancer is responsible for more than 28% of all cancer-related deaths every year.1 Smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer. Approximately 87 percent of lung cancer cases occur in people who are currently smoking or have previously smoked.2 Although the risk of developing lung cancer goes down with smoking cessation, a significant risk remains for 20 years or longer after quitting.2, 3 Approximately 50 percent of all lung cancers (106,500) occur in people who have already quit smoking.4 Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and the leading cause of lung cancer among never-smokers.5 More people who have never smoked die from lung cancer than do people from AIDS or liver cancer or ovarian cancer.6, 7 Risk factors for lung cancer other than those from smoking include lung scarring from tuberculosis, and occupational or environmental exposures to radon, second-hand smoke, radiation, asbestos, air pollution, arsenic and some organic chemicals.1 Only 16 percent of lung cancer patients are diagnosed before their disease has spread to other parts of their bodies, (e.g., regional lymph nodes and beyond), compared to more than 50 percent of breast cancer patients, and 90 percent of prostate cancer patients.1, 8 Men's mortality (death) rates from lung cancer began declining more than 20 years ago, while women's lung cancer mortality rates have been rising for decades and just recently began to stabilize.9 African Americans experience the highest incidence of lung cancer, and the highest death rate.10 Roughly 84 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer die within five years of their diagnosis, compared to 11 percent of breast cancer and less than 1 percent of prostate cancer patients.1 Less money is spent on lung cancer research than on research on other cancers. In 2007, the National Cancer Institute estimated it spent only it spent only $1,415 per lung cancer death compared to $13,991 per breast cancer death, $10,945 per prostate cancer death, and $4,952 per colorectal cancer.1, 11

Kathy's request and on behalf of all those with lung cancer and their loved ones, please contact your congressperson and senators and ask them to move this out of committee and on through Congress so that it hits the president's desk as law or funding . Stevie Wilson

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