Hi,

I was just informed by another member that the Jane Pauly show has been cancelled, so who has another idea? Which show should we target? Oprah, Montel, Ellen......I don't even know who else has talk shows. I am not a daytime TV watcher, so I need some help here. Or should we target another magazine first?

If we are going to emphasize the case for early detection, Heather's story isn't even the best to use. Yes, if her cancer had been detected earlier, she would have had a better chance of survival. But she was seen by a dentist who did regular oral screenings, so we can't use the negligent dentist angle. She wasn't a smoker, so we can't use that as an angle. She didn't have any early warning signs that she ignored or that were missed by a doctor. Yes, it is true her GP didn't pick up on the ear pain/sore throat problem, but that alone usually isn't a red flag for OC.

Then again, maybe since her case was unusual because of the lack of early symptoms, the lack of tobacco use, the lack of the tumor showing up on a CT scan, maybe it can still be used to show that you must be ever vigilant in your health care. You know your own body better than any doctor and you must be aware of any changes and push, push, push for your doctor to find out why you are having pain or whatever. I don't know. What do any of you think?

Of course, whether or not we use Heather's story in any way, I can still help push to get more recognition of OC. We just need some suggestions for a plan. Let's bat it around and see where it goes.

Rosie