Posted on 03/07/2006 10:12:12 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
Did years of singing in smoky nightclubs kill Dana Reeve, the widow of paralysed Superman actor Christopher Reeve?
She died yesterday of lung cancer even though she was not a smoker.
"Ten to 15 per cent of people who develop lung cancer are thought to be non-smokers. It was said that she had, in the course of being an entertainer, spent a lot of time in pubs, in nightclubs, in which there is a lot of cigarette smoke," said Dr James Mulshine from Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago.
Reeve, 44, won worldwide admiration for her devotion to her husband through his decade of near total paralysis.
He died 15 months ago and late last year she appeared at a gala for the Christopher Reeve Foundation and appeared to be responding well to treatment.
In the US more women die of lung cancer than breast cancer, and one in five American women diagnosed with the disease have never lit a cigarette.
"We know that 90 per cent of lung cancer is linked to direct smoking, the other 10 per cent is tied to occupational exposures, radon and secondhand smoke," said Pat McKone, a senior director of tobacco control with the American Lung Association.
"Dana Reeve was not a smoker, but she did spend many years of her singing career in smoke filled nightclubs."
Her death comes amid a worldwide debate on the danger of passive smoking and attempts to ban smoking from bars, clubs and eateries.
For instance today in New Jersey a coalition of bars, restaurants and bowling alley operators sued the state claiming its ban on smoking law is unconstitutional.
Meanwhile tributes have poured in for Reeve who was best known for standing by her husband through his courageous decade-long battle with paralysis caused by a fall from a horse.
"The brightest light has gone out," said comedian Robin Williams, one of the couple's closest friends. "We will forever celebrate her loving spirit."
Reeve's death came as a shock because she seemed to have the upper hand on the deadly disease since telling the world about her diagnosis last year, only two days after the death of American ABC TV newsman Peter Jennings.
"I'm beating the odds and defying every statistic the doctors can throw at me," Reeve said just a few months ago.
Reeve said she had learned from her late husband's struggle.
"I was married to a man who never gave up," she said.
Her death sparked an outpouring from the Reeves' many friends and admirers in Hollywood and Washington, where she was a vocal backer of stem cell research.
Former president Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton described Reeve as "a model of tenacity and grace".
"Chris was America's superhero, and Dana became our hero, too," added former presidential candidate Senator John Kerry, a close family friend.
Dana Reeve is survived by her 13-year-old son Will and two adult stepchildren, Matthew and Alexandra.
Dana Reeve, who lived in Pound Ridge, New York, had appeared in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions and on the TV shows Law & Order, Oz and All My Children.
She married Reeve in 1992 and abandoned her acting career to care for him after he was paralysed when he fell from a horse in 1995.
Christopher Reeve died on October 10, 2004.
In his autobiography, Still Me, Reeve wrote that he suggested early on to his wife, "Maybe we should let me go."
She responded, "I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you and I love you."
Those were "the words that saved my life", he wrote.
".....one in five American women diagnosed with the disease have never lit a cigarette.
"We know that 90 per cent of lung cancer is linked to direct smoking, the other 10 per cent is tied to occupational exposures, radon and secondhand smoke," said Pat McKone, a senior director of tobacco control with the American Lung Association."
One statement says 20% while the other says less than 10%. American public school education at work?
"Seems the money would be better spent on a cure for (lung) cancer than bitching about cigarettes, if this is the case."
No kidding. And what really gets me is all that "tobacco money" they get from cigarette taxes sends a message that they need people to smoke to continue to pay for all those wonderful programs. Although much of that $$ has been misspent from what I understand.
Bottem line is , it's still all about money. If they are so bad, and they really want to protect people from certain death... BAN THEM.
She had been out of the 'second hand smoke' atmosphere for well over 10 years before she was diagnosed with the disease. I doubt that it had anything to do with her contracting lung cancer. I believe it was more a function of the stress she was under, dealing with the day to day care of her husband.
"it did kill my grand-aunt who was in a house full of smokers and never once fired one up herself. At least she lived to almost 90."
Isn't that a bit of a stretch?? I'd say your great-aunt died of old age natural causes.
I don't think anything 'killed' Dana. It was her time to go and she did!!
that's an amazing graph
you certainly don't need a doctorate in medicine to see the causality
They will say Andy Kaufman "worked for years in smokey clubs" too.
I always thought Andy Kaufman really died of aids.
My dad's primary cancer was in his kidney, but it spread to his lungs and killed him.
My brother had melanoma and goes for routine MRI's because he's been told that "if" it has spread, the most likely place it will show up is in his lungs.
My girlfriend's sister had breast cancer, but lung cancer killed her in the end.
I would like to know where she lived throughout her life. Certain areas of the Country have heavy concentrations of radon gas. Radon can seep into the living or working environment and become entrapped. Radon testing and eradication only became SOP about 15 years ago. Radon gas exposure has a very high correlation with lung cancer. So, maybe second hand smoke was the cause or a factor in combination with other factors, or maybe second hand smoke has nothing to do with anything.
Folks, these are two lungs. Guess which is the smokers lung.
neither one???? I'll bet there both from a dead person. Therefore neither one is currently smoking.... unless there body was set on fire...
One statement says 20% while the other says less than 10%. American public school education at work?
47.2% of statistics are made up on the spot.
Of course. But, evidently some people are more like to "catch" it than others. Like allergies, it is very individual. But rather safe than sorry.
Dick Cheney accidentally shot her.
Nope, no accident... I just missed!
My fault. I shouldn't have served martinis with breakfast...
BTW how's the Great Iraqi Civil War going today?
Public cigarette smoking has been curtailed for over 25 years now. Better grasp for other straws.
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