Susan G. Komen Walk

[TERESAh]

I'll be right there with you Laura. I will be walking mostly for my best friend's daughter who has breast cancer with the BRCA gene mutation, but also for the good feeling it will give me to participate and promote general public awareness. I hope I get a cap so I can give it to Nikki when I get home.

 

Get there early, as when we walked they did run out of caps

[iriemon]

Does the Grand have a deck that goes all around the ship that they walk on? I know on the HAL ships that I have been on, the deck goes all the way around and 3 times around is a mile so most people go around 9 times for 3 miles. There are always people on the side cheering you on and clapping. Makes it a fun time.

[floridarob]

Get there early, as when we walked they did run out of caps

 

Don't leave without a cap, a portion of your donation goes towards the price of a cap.... there are always caps, don't let someone be lazy and not go find them!

[77Network]

Can anyone tell me what the cost is and what you get? I know on HAL, we always participate in it and the cost is $15 pp and you get a shirt and braclet. Not that it matters what you get, but we have walked it so many times on different ships we usually walk it in somebody's name and bring it back to them.

 

One think to keep in mind, this is not just for breast cancer. My wife has rectal cancer and one of the chemo's that she is on was developed for breast cancer and they found it works for others also. My wife's tumor is inoperable so she will be on and off chemo for her life and all this research helps in finding ones that work. She still participates in the walk even though I have to push her in a wheel chair. The organization may not be your favorite, but the money goes to good use to save lives.

 

 

It is only for breast cancer. Part of the requirement to get funding from this organization is that you must show your research is breast cancer related. There are other types of cancer that are more deadly than breast cancer, such as ovarian cancer. I have always been a little disappointed that they don’t fund other types of cancer research because there are so many other people who are also suffering. And as you pointed out it is very possible that someone who is doing prostate cancer research may discover something which will benefit people with breast cancer.

[iriemon]

It is only for breast cancer. Part of the requirement to get funding from this organization is that you must show your research is breast cancer related. There are other types of cancer that are more deadly than breast cancer, such as ovarian cancer. I have always been a little disappointed that they don’t fund other types of cancer research because there are so many other people who are also suffering. And as you pointed out it is very possible that someone who is doing prostate cancer research may discover something which will benefit people with breast cancer.

 

And also what they develop for Breast Cancer may also be used in other types of cancer as what happened in my wife's case. The Chemo Avastan which has not been taken away from breast cancer patients because they found it was not effective, is very effective for other types of cancer. Research is good no matter what it is for because there are always other things that are found even if it is not what the original researcher was looking for.

[77Network]

And also what they develop for Breast Cancer may also be used in other types of cancer as what happened in my wife's case. The Chemo Avastan which has not been taken away from breast cancer patients because they found it was not effective, is very effective for other types of cancer. Research is good no matter what it is for because there are always other things that are found even if it is not what the original researcher was looking for.

 

"Research is good no matter what it is for because there are always other things that are found even if it is not what the original researcher was looking for."

 

True, this is why I don't understand why they refuse to fund other types of cancer research. There are other types of cancer that are far more deadly than breast cancer. I would like to see people looking at many different types of cancer at the cellular level and then publishing what they learn and see how it might relate to what other researchers are discovering. To give a disproportionate amount of funding to only breast cancer research, with the explanation that it might help other cancers, is not the best use of resources. So many more people could be saved if funding was allocated differently.

[curlygirlygirl]

hope this not a can of worms but...... i thought they had changed charities to St Judes for the next 3 years. I know for sure Carivanial is only doing St Judes. no more hats just a t shirt.

 

I have always walked some time it was a few of us... sometimes a lot. But in talking a lot of people, they will donate for the hat and not walk.

 

Last week on the Sea Princess they were still doing the Susan G. Komen walk.

[centralcalicruzer]

"Research is good no matter what it is for because there are always other things that are found even if it is not what the original researcher was looking for."

 

True, this is why I don't understand why they refuse to fund other types of cancer research. There are other types of cancer that are far more deadly than breast cancer. I would like to see people looking at many different types of cancer at the cellular level and then publishing what they learn and see how it might relate to what other researchers are discovering. To give a disproportionate amount of funding to only breast cancer research, with the explanation that it might help other cancers, is not the best use of resources. So many more people could be saved if funding was allocated differently.

 

I just did about five minutes worth of research on the internet and found that, according to several different articles, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today, the five year survival rate for breast cancer is around 80-90%, and that the increased survival rates in recent years is mostly due to improvement in treatment. (Which I think it's safe to assume came from research funded by any number of organizations). There are many different, legitimate organizations that support research for a lot of different illnesses, not just cancer (examples: March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Multiple Sclerosis Society, etc.) It's not my place to tell any individual what charity they should support, nor is it my place to tell Princess cruises what charity they should sponsor on their ship. People can choose to support the walk on the ship or not, that's their freedom of choice. But to dismiss breast cancer as not being a "deadly enough cancer" to warrant support does a disservice to the women and men who have suffered from this disease, many of whom are no longer with us.

[wrecks]

Not all of the Komen Foundation monies go to research. There is a non-profit here in Spokane that helps those that have been devastated financially by cancer. The local Komen Foundation is a major contributor to that organization - they do not do any cancer research.

[Carolyn R]

"Research is good no matter what it is for because there are always other things that are found even if it is not what the original researcher was looking for."

 

True, this is why I don't understand why they refuse to fund other types of cancer research. There are other types of cancer that are far more deadly than breast cancer. I would like to see people looking at many different types of cancer at the cellular level and then publishing what they learn and see how it might relate to what other researchers are discovering. To give a disproportionate amount of funding to only breast cancer research, with the explanation that it might help other cancers, is not the best use of resources. So many more people could be saved if funding was allocated differently.

 

No reason to be disappointed. Susan died of breast cancer, her sister made a promise to create awareness of BREAST cancer and raise funds for BREAST cancer research. Because of the fulfilling of that promise great strides have been made and fewer woman (and men) are dying of breast cancer.

[caribill]

Does the Grand have a deck that goes all around the ship that they walk on?

 

No. Deck 7 does not go all the away aorund leaving two options:

 

a) When you reach the forward part of deck 7 there are stairs up to the continuation of the promenade deck on deck 8. After walkinmg around the front of the ship on deck 8, there are stairs to retune to deck 7.

 

b) As you approaqh the stairs, you can go inside to cross over to the other side and avoid the going up and down of stairs.

[Sailingbear]

Floridarob - while I appreciate your adding the link, I read it as Princess has passed along the 75% contributed by the passengers who have participated in the walk. It doesn't answer my question of how much the Princess Corporation itself has contributed to Komen. Yes it is gtreat that Princess coordinates these walks and fundraising however IO think Process is getting a lot of good press basically for being a middle-man ferrying $ from passengers to Komen.

[Sailingbear]

I recently attended the Era of Hope Conference which is held every 2 to 3 years to present progress in breast cancer research. While this was research that was funded by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) funds, many of the researchers also have Komen funding. The breadth of research is awesome. Yet we still have 40,000 women in the US and nearly 500,000 women throughout the world dying every year from breast cancer - and the odds are 1 in 7 or 8 women will get this disease sometime in her life. Even when a person survives the disease, the cost of medical treatments, lost-time from work, and the emotional and physical toll on the patient and their caregiovers is significant. The sheer number of people impacted is a compelling reason for funding on its own. The treatment costs are completely unaffordable for most of the world. We need to find the cause(s) and find the cure(s).

[latebloomer56]

Not all of the Komen Foundation monies go to research. There is a non-profit here in Spokane that helps those that have been devastated financially by cancer. The local Komen Foundation is a major contributor to that organization - they do not do any cancer research.

 

 

I am so happy to hear this. I have walked and contributed to this cause for many years. This is nice to know. I also walk for other cancers indirectly through a local hospital which helps cancer (all) patients and their families with all kinds of issues.

As for the person who thinks breast cancer isn't deadly enough. I am having chemo due to breast cancer and trust me they would not be poisoning my body if they were not sure it could be deadly enough without treatment. At least in my case and several others I see at the chemo center I go to. Thank goodness I have a chance to survive and see my grandson grow up. All due to research.

Laura E.

[77Network]

I just did about five minutes worth of research on the internet and found that, according to several different articles, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today, the five year survival rate for breast cancer is around 80-90%, and that the increased survival rates in recent years is mostly due to improvement in treatment. (Which I think it's safe to assume came from research funded by any number of organizations). There are many different, legitimate organizations that support research for a lot of different illnesses, not just cancer (examples: March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Multiple Sclerosis Society, etc.) It's not my place to tell any individual what charity they should support, nor is it my place to tell Princess cruises what charity they should sponsor on their ship. People can choose to support the walk on the ship or not, that's their freedom of choice. But to dismiss breast cancer as not being a "deadly enough cancer" to warrant support does a disservice to the women and men who have suffered from this disease, many of whom are no longer with us.

 

 

Interesting how people can read a post and make up things that were not there. From where are you quoting the phase "deadly enough cancer"? Also, who said that it did not warrant support?

I agree that among women breast cancer is second to lung cancer in mortality rates. Among the general population it is 3rd behind lung and colorectal.

The point of my post was the disparity in how funding is allocated. Breast cancer research receives the most public funding of any type of cancer $631 million (2010). More than double the second highest funded, prostate cancer $300 million. If you look at death rates the numbers show even more inequity. This year 4 times more people will die from lung cancer than breast cancer, yet lung cancer receives 45% of the funding that breast cancer does. Colorectal, the second deadliest cancer, only gets about 43% the funding breast cancer does.

These number are only public funds. (Taxes) When you add in the private funding, the gap is far larger. I suppose it is ok that this organization has decided that they only want to fund breast cancer related activities. They have that right. It starts to become unfair when they have successfully lobbied to have so much public funding taken from other types of cancer research.

It has already been pointed out that frequently research in one type of cancer will produce therapies that are beneficial to other types of cancer. I agree that this is also true. However, to maximize this effect you need to have research being done on as many types of cancer as possible. I wish this organization would recognize this and choose to expand their mission.

[centralcalicruzer]

"There are other types of cancer that are far more deadly than breast cancer" - my inference from that is that the poster doesn't think breast cancer is deadly enough to warrant all the funding it receives compared to other forms of cancer. And certainly the poster cites statistics that seem to prove the point that breast cancer research receives a disproportionate share of funding. My point was really just that people can support whatever charity they want. There are so many charities out there that need our help, and it's impossible to support everything. I have run many times in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. I am currently training to run Marine Corps Marathon for an organization that provides funds to families of pediatric brain tumor patients. I was an active supporter for many years of the MS150 bike ride. I have purchased items from Kohl's Dana Buchman line that proceeds go to support breast cancer research. Personally, I just think it is great that Princess offers a fun activity where you can actually feel like you are doing something positive to help people suffering from cancer while you are on a vacation that is by and large pretty self-indulgent. :)