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.
These both must be lighter than air. They get up where the ozone layer exists and cause Global Warming and deplete the ozone which causes skin cancer.
I don't think I know of one single doctor that smokes
A few years ago, while I was remodeling the home of a local brain surgeon (for real), I was taken aback when the doc danndled his three month old son on his knee while smoking up a storm.
Maybe he had read the WHO report and knew that early exposure to SHS seems to build an immunity to asthma and other diseases later in life.
nope, automatic transmissions is my game, LOL
Even though I disagreed with this woman on a number of issues, I will appreciate the fact that she stood by here husband through thick and thin. I admire her for that. As you state, her passing is not of great consequence. It is however unfortunate for their child(ren) to have lost both parents.
As for the topic on this thread, yes it has gone off target. I appreciate what you have said and don't disagree with much of it. Take care.
And just how do you know their body isn't on fire hugh? LOL
Pretty straight forward. Not being snotty, I'm a wood butcher myself which is a lot less complicated than tranny work.
:O)
Dana's death will be be blamed on second hand smoke no matter what. The SHS is dangerous crowd, now have their poster child.
Some of us object to the single minded hysteria regarding smoking, when there are other habits far more dangerous.
Second hand smoke studies, are however, bogus and have been proven so. They were conducted by anti-smokers to give them greater leverage to ban smoking. It's served them well.
Just give 'em time. Then they'll all be saying "Bush killed Superman AND his wife!"
Wholeheartedly agreed. But that fact won't stop them.
The problem with this statement is in your definition of "forced." No one is forced to work or live anywhere.
Unless, of course, you've been convicted of a felony. :-)
Liberal rounding. Pun intended.
I admit it. I did it. I smoke, and I was 500 miles away, so, ipso facto, I did it. Sue me
Look, in a number of ways I agree with your comments. I'm not convinced some studies weren't rigged to show desired outcomes. I'm also fairly sure no studies seem to prove a cause and effect with second-hand smoke. Still, as you say, some people are and some people are not suseptible to problems from smoke. Is it irrefutable that second-hand smoke will not cause problems. I don't think so.
I've seen how bad it can get in a room with smokers. I'm glad that I don't have to face that. Is that an inconvenience for smokers. Yes it is.
Some of the new smoking plan ideas are just plain nuts as far as I am concerned, and if the powers that be continue to push, I'm going to join smokers against them. Enough is enough.
I do think it can aggravate asthma, allergies or other such maladies. To most non-smokers SHS is an annoyance, albeit sometimes a very annoying annoyance. : ).
Many smokers don't like being in smoke-filled rooms either. : )
What hospital is this? lol
Please tell everyone, they need to stay clear of those medical geniuses!
LOL! :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.