Stupid Cancer

I know too many people who've died after suffering from cancer. Breast. Colon. Uteran.

Of course I also have been blessed enough to meet cancer survivors that are nothing if not inspirational. All I can hope for is that I never get this disease, and if I ever think I do, that I have enough courage to go to the doctor and figure out how to be one of the survivors.

Late last year, my friend Sunny posted a survey on her blog that said 62 percent of people who suspected they had cancer did not get diagnosed for three months or more. Of course, the question that consumed me after first reading that was WHY?

As my friend Matthew Zachary at i[2]y -- who today told me that the #1 reason 5-year survival rates in young adults have not improved in 30 years is late diagnosis -- says: stupid cancer.

Today, a follow-up to this survey was released that specifically answers the "why" question. While it's sad that so many people wait too long before getting diagnosed for reasons from fear to procrastination to lack of health insurance, I'm glad that NYTimes.com health blogger Tara Parker-Pope and others are writing about this, and I'm hopeful that it will make a difference.