A Letter to Oprah @ a show

I have been thinking about this a very long time and finally have taken the time to put pen to paper. I don't expect to ever hear from her but at least I tried and some of her competitors will be getting the same message!!!!!! I hope y'all enjoy and understand what I mean in the email.

Oprah,

I am an avid watcher of your show and am becoming increasingly concerned that you are misleading women in the United States about their cancer risks. Don’t get me wrong, I love that you have shows about woman and cancer that raise awareness but you are not reflecting the real statistics for all woman. I also know your show is seen by women all over the world and over time I hope to learn more about cancer rates in places other then the US but until then this message is all about the real stats in the US as published by the American Cancer Society.

A little history about me and why I feel so compelled to send this email to you. At the age of 49 in 2003, my colon perforated and I almost died from the subsequent acute peritonitis (infection of the abdomen). I thought I was healthy at the time. The doctors and their testing missed my cancer, but 4 months later in an appointment to schedule the reversal of the temporary colostomy bag I was given during the emergency surgery for the peritonitis I heard the dreaded news,“You have cancer”. I was seeing a general surgeon that I “met” in the emergency room at my local hospital. Luckily after I heard that news, one of my brothers, an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon, talked me into to going to a major cancer center and it was by far the smartest thing I ever did. I went for the second opinion at one of the 121 (at the time) comprehensive cancer centers (the University Of North Carolina School Of Medicine in Chapel Hill, NC) about 60 miles from me as soon as I could get an appointment with a very well known GI oncologist. After more testing with better machines on April 2nd 2004, I found out my cancer had spread to my liver and left lung. My prognosis was not good; I was given 2-3 years to live. As I look back on it, if I had let my original surgeon do the surgery he wanted I would be dead today, there is NO doubt in my mind. I don't blame him, I just had no idea how much more intricate and exact some testing machines can be and how important that is early on. I was lucky my brother did. After some serious chemo and many alternatives I am currently NED (no evidence of disease, you have to be NED 5 years before the docs/insurance will declare you cancer free) and have been since October of 2004. My journey has been very unique since I am in what they call a non-surgical remission which seems to be very rare for Stage IV cancer patients. Enough about me, now back to my idea for a show.

Over the last few years, I have seen you have several cancer survivors on your show but can not remember a single cancer survivor that did not have breast cancer, other then Lance of course. I saw the woman that Lance gave the bike to, Melissa Etheridge, DK's friend, the recent woman who chose to have the full mastectomy, and most recently, Elizabeth Edwards. You also discussed the issues around the new cervical cancer vaccine on a recent show. Your magazine is wonderful with it’s support of “pink” and breast cancer but you seem to ignore all the other cancers that woman can get. Did you know that each of the major cancers have an awareness month just like October for breast cancer? Did you know that most cancers have their own colors like breast has pink? Us semi-colons (colorectal survivors, that is what we call ourselves, for obvious reasons) think our color should be brown instead on dark blue (well at least some of us do. A sense of humor is required when you have bootie cancer). I hope you smiled over that comment. Since there are more cancers then colors, some share the colors and ironically testicular cancer’s color is pink just like breast cancer. Can you imagine Lance in pink????

Now for the stats I think you need to articulate to the world. According to the American Cancer Society in their recent published projected estimates for 2007, over 678,000 women in the US will hear the dreaded, “you have cancer” words this year. Of them, 74% will be cancers other then breast!!!!!! The same report says over 270,000 women will die of cancer this year, 85% will die of a cancer other then breast!!!!! As far as cervical cancer goes here in the US, less then 1% of all women that die of cancer will die from that cancer. The commercials about the vaccine are just that, propaganda laden commercials that make big bucks for pharmaceutical companies that you just supported on your show. I have lost many a friend from the colorectal cancer discussion board on the Cancer Survivor Network that kills many more women then cervical cancer ever will with little fanfare. Did you know that Audrey Hepburn died of colorectal cancer? Did you know that Ronald Reagan had it while he was president? I suspect Fidel Castro is dying from it too. I just don’t understand why so many are afraid to talk about “bootie cancer”. In the last few years more women then men are being diagnosed with it at all ages (I have lost cyber girlfriends in the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, etc.) but it is still know as an “old mans cancer”.

I could go on for days about cancer, but need to get back to my idea for a show. How about having a show with all female or just cancer survivors? I don’t know how many people can fit into your audience but you could have the percentage of people diagnosed represented by the numbers in your audience. With patients/survivors standing up in a small crowd, you could make a huge impact on awareness of all the major cancer killers as the groups answer your questions. As an ex corporate manager I believe in the 80/20 rule. I bet you know that rule. Concentrate on the 20% of the issues that cause 80% of your problems first then tackle the rest. I feel the same way about cancer but women need to know they should be concerned about other cancers, not just breast!!!

And let’s please start talking about prevention instead of just cure! I wouldn’t wish what I have gone thru on anyone..well maybe Bin Laden.

AND I would like to extend an invitation to you, Gayle, and/or a film crew to Nashville, Tenn. September 12-16 of this year for the 5th Colon Palooza. It is a gathering of colorectal cancer survivors that meet yearly to celebrate life and remember our dear friends that inspire us to fight and live on. It is not dismal, we have a blast while we carry our lost ones proudly with us on our shoulders. Please join us and if you can’t, at least tell the world that woman can get another cancer other then breast.

I have other ideas and have sent you a few other letters. Maybe one day you will reply.

Lisa P.