Kelly Graham-Miele,
East St. Paul, Manitoba
My name is Kelly Graham-Miele. I recently retired from a 30-year career as a Residential Decorating evening instructor at Red River College and my design consultation business. Currently, I do administrative work for a family run business while supporting cancer patients through advocacy and volunteering.
In 2013, due to my smoking history, I asked my doctor if I could be tested for lung cancer. I had promised my kids that I would ask during my annual physical appointment, because they had recently learned about smoking and lung cancer in school, and they were quite concerned about my health. The doctor was reluctant to order a chest X-ray since I had no symptoms, however, I pressed the issue explaining that I had promised my kids and had quit smoking
again, so the doctor finally agreed.
Sadly, the X-ray showed something unusual,
so I was sent for a CT scan, then a biopsy which confirmed my lung cancer diagnosis of stage 3A Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. I was referred to Cancercare Manitoba and underwent extensive daily radiation and chemotherapy. Following
all my treatments, I advocated for surgery. The surgeon agreed to operate if further testing was done, including a brain CT scan, PET scan, and breathing test which had not been at time of my original diagnosis. On St. Patrick’s Day 2014,
I had a mid-lobe resection and a decade later, I celebrate this day as my cancer-versary!
Initially, I thought the cause of my lung cancer was from my smoking history. As a result of the stigma surrounding lung cancer, I hid my diagnosis from almost everyone except for my husband, children, and a few family members. I felt embarrassed and ashamed of my poor lifestyle choices but more importantly, I wanted to protect my children from the lack of cancer compassion and care often shown to lung cancer patients.
Additionally, because of my poor prognosis of less than 17% of a 5-year survival rate, I wanted to spend my remaining time enjoying my children’s activities and leading as normal a life as possible. I hid my bald head behind a wig, and actually worked part-time during my treatments, and pretended everything was okay, even though it really was not.
During my journey, I reached out to the Lung Health Research Foundation in the USA and was invited to attend a conference. Surprisingly, I learned that adenocarcinoma, unlike other forms of lung cancer, is not always associated with smoking. Also, it most commonly occurs in younger women who have never smoked. I was never told this, nor was I told about radon or advised to test my home as the effects of radon are multiplied considerably if you have a smoking history. I was horrified that despite undergoing extensive radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, I could have been living in a home with high radon levels that possibly caused my lung cancer!
This is one of the main reasons that I advocate in both the public and health care setting--to raise awareness that lung cancer is not just a smoker's disease, and that anyone diagnosed with lung cancer should have their homes tested for radon. The World Health Organization tells us that “radon is much more likely to cause lung cancer in people who smoke. In fact, smokers are estimated to be 25 times more at risk from radon than non-smokers.”
Advocating as a Lung Cancer Ambassador is important to me because:
1. I want to debunk the misconception that lung cancer is only caused by smoking.
2. Lung Cancer has a low 5-year survival rate and a high reoccurrence rate. Patients, after undergoing treatment, should have their homes tested to avoid re-exposure to high radon levels.
3. I want people to know if you have lungs, you can get lung cancer. Let’s reduce the stigma associated with lung cancer.
4. Lung cancer kills more Canadian's annually than colon, breast, and prostate combined so let's make sure the funding for lung cancer screening reflects this!
I would like Canadians to that radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer! Canada is one of several countries with some of the highest radon levels in the world.
Given my firsthand experience with lung cancer, I would like the Canadian government to take the following actions:
1. Revise national building codes to have new homes radon tested after construction.
2. Develop programs to help offset costs of radon mitigation.
3. Establish a program with radon mitigation companies to travel to remote areas.
4. Implement a lung cancer screening program with low dose CT scans to detect lung cancer early. Screening already exists for breast, colon, and prostate cancers but not for lung cancer.
5. Invest in more clinical trials and research that can detect lung cancer and radon exposure earlier.
6. Create an extensive national awareness campaign on social media in regard to lung cancer and radon.
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Initially, I thought the cause of my lung cancer was from my smoking history. As a result of
the stigma surrounding lung cancer, I hid my diagnosis from almost everyone except for my husband, children, and a few family members.
I felt embarrassed and ashamed of my poor lifestyle choices but more importantly,
I wanted to protect my children from the
lack of cancer compassion and care often
shown to lung cancer patients.
Additionally, because of my poor prognosis
of less than 17% of a 5-year survival rate,
I wanted to spend my remaining time enjoying my children’s activities and leading as normal
a life as possible. I hid my bald head behind a wig, and actually worked part-time during my treatments, and pretended everything was
okay, even though it really was not.
During my journey, I reached out to the Lung Health Research Foundation in the USA and
was invited to attend a conference. Surprisingly,
I learned that adenocarcinoma, unlike other forms of lung cancer, is not always associated with smoking. Also, it most commonly occurs in younger women who have never smoked. I was never told this, nor was I told about radon or advised to test my home as the effects of radon are multiplied considerably if you have a smoking history. I was horrified that despite undergoing extensive radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, I could have been living in a home with high radon levels that possibly caused my lung cancer!
This is one of the main reasons that I advocate in both the public and health care setting -- to raise awareness that lung cancer is not just a smoker's disease, and that anyone diagnosed with lung cancer should have their homes tested for radon. The World Health Organization tells us that “radon is much more likely to cause lung cancer in people who smoke. In fact, smokers are estimated to be 25 times more at risk from radon than non-smokers.”
Continued on page 8 ...
Advocating as a Lung Cancer Ambassador is important to me because:
1. I want to debunk the misconception that lung cancer is only caused by smoking.
2. Lung Cancer has a low 5-year survival rate and a high reoccurrence rate. Patients, after undergoing treatment, should have their homes tested to avoid re-exposure to high radon levels.
3. I want people to know if you have lungs, you can get lung cancer. Let’s reduce the stigma associated with lung cancer.
4. Lung cancer kills more Canadian's annually than colon, breast, and prostate combined so let's make sure the funding for lung cancer screening reflects this!
I would like Canadians to that radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer! Canada is one of several countries with some of the highest radon levels in the world.
Given my firsthand experience with lung cancer, I would like the Canadian government to take the following actions:
1. Revise national building codes to have new homes radon tested after construction.
2. Develop programs to help offset costs of radon mitigation.
3. Establish a program with radon mitigation companies to travel to remote areas.
4. Implement a lung cancer screening program with low dose CT scans to detect lung cancer early. Screening already exists for breast, colon, and prostate cancers but not for lung cancer.
5. Invest in more clinical trials and research that can detect lung cancer and radon exposure earlier.
6. Create an extensive national awareness campaign on social media in regard to lung cancer and radon.