Staff photo by Thinh D. Nguyen
Click to enlarge photos.By Amanda Crissup
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
ACWORTH - In the two hours it would take to drive twice to the Big Chicken from Ed and Linda Levitt's home at Brookstone Golf and Country Club in Acworth, someone in Georgia dies of lung cancer.
Diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer four years ago, 65-year-old Levitt could have been that statistic. But he's not going anywhere. Not yet.
"My attitude is you've got a problem, you've got a challenge," he said. "You get up and you fight it head-on."
His cancer has not gone away, but Levitt and Linda, his wife of 34 years, will be honored Saturday for creating the Georgia chapter of the national Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA). They will be presented with the Hummingbird Award for Perseverance from the Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation at the black tie event.
"Ed is a tireless spokesperson about raising awareness for this disease," said Dr. Michael Smith, Atlanta-based cardio thoracic surgeon and member of the LCA advisory board. "His wife is likewise an amazing advocate and together they make a great team."
Besides resources for lung cancer patients and fundraising for research, the Georgia chapter of the LCA also provides education about the disease. Mrs. Levitt said a big element behind raising awareness about lung cancer is also beating the public misconception that everyone with lung cancer is also a smoker.
"Basically lung cancer has been stigmatized. People think you get it because you deserve it," Mrs. Levitt said. "It's no different than any other cancer."
The inaugural Dancing for Joan fundraiser includes dinner, dancing and a silent auction. Dr. Deborah Morosini, sister of the late Dana Reeve, who was the wife of the late actor Christopher Reeve, will serve as mistress of ceremonies.
"Because I'm a doctor, you get a skewed view of the world and you don't think people are stigmatized," she said. "(But) there really is this enormous amount of blame and shame associated with this disease."
In fact, Smith said of the people with lung cancer, only 44 percent had some history of smoking. Among women diagnosed with lung cancer, 20 percent to 30 percent are nonsmokers, like Dr. Morosini's sister.
"It's a very asymptomatic disease. When my sister was diagnosed, she was active, she was healthy. She just had a really bothersome cough," Dr. Morosini said.
Levitt, a retired motivational speaker, said he and Mrs. Levitt started the Georgia chapter of the LCA because they were dissatisfied with the available support groups for lung cancer.
"The only people who were there would be people who wanted to cry," Levitt said. "You spent 15 to 20 minutes talking about what's wrong with you and everyone knows if you only talk about that, you'll never feel better."
At the time of his diagnosis, Levitt was given 90 days to live. After rigorous chemotherapy, his tumors disappeared but are now reappearing.
According to Smith, lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer deaths in the country and annually accounts for 1 million cancer deaths worldwide. Georgia also has a high incidence rate of lung cancer, with 4,000 people dying from the disease annually.
Smith said part of the cause for such a mortality rate among folks diagnosed with lung cancer is that unlike other cancers, early detection is not common practice.
"No one would ever say to a woman with breast cancer, we're not sure this is a fatal illness, so we're just going to watch it," Smith said.
WellStar Health Systems and St. Joseph's Hospital are both in the process of establishing lung cancer early detection programs.
"We want the voice of lung cancer to be heard equally with all the other cancers," Mrs. Levitt said. "We want lung cancer to be funded at the same level as breast and prostate cancer."
Although Levitt is not cancer-free, he continues to fight for greater funding and awareness for lung cancer research and to go on morning walks with the Levitts' two greyhounds, Sheeba and Ty, even if some days he can't make their full 5-mile circuit.
"If I don't walk up that first hill, there will never be a second hill," Levitt said.
acrissup@mdjonline.com
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Posted Comments
Nice story. One misquote. 44% of all Americans are either present or formers smokers, not 44% of all lung cancer patients. In fact roughly 90% of lung cancer occurs in present or former smokers overall. In women that number (as you reported) is lower. Thanks for raising awareness. Michael
I lost my beloved mother to lung cancer last April after a horrible six month battle. Every day is a battle for me, wondering how a healthy 64 year old recent grandmother could be diagnosed with such a disease. She saw her internist regularly, and to this day, I still do not understand why there is no screening available for those at risk. Why was her doctor not proactive? Lung Cancer is the #1 cancer killer in the U.S. and grossly underfunded. This, to me, is absurd. Mr. Levitt has inspired me to advocate for lung cancer awareness and continue to hope for a cure. The Lung Cancer Alliance Survivor's Community provides such needed support to those fighting this terrible disease and their families. Mr. Levitt is a true warrior, and the state of Georgia is so blessed to have him call it home.
Thank you for all you've done to raise awareness for the need to increase funding for lung cancer research. I lost my 19 year old daughter just after Christmas, 2006. She had received her diagnosis just three weeks earlier, and it caught everyone by surprise. We, too, want to do our part in this battle and it's articles such as this that open the doors. Thank you for your coverage.