You never know where good fortune will come from. A show with a few survivors, some doctor experts, a celebrity survivor, could be very moving. I appreciate all of your efforts regardless of how it all turns out. I have been banging my head against this wall for two years, but many times it's who you know, not what you know. If you can pull this off and 22 million viewers get the message, and pass it on to just one other person... what a difference it could make in the death rate from this disease. It could be the first step in a national awareness of the disease and the risk factors, leading to an anual exam just like a PAP test etc. That is my dream. the vehilcle to reduce the death rate in my lifetime, through early detection. It worked in cervical cancer, and it can work in oral cancer as well. Attached is a typical letter that I am using (with the address deleated). It may provide you with a few key talking points.
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February 1, 2004
Ms. Blythe Danner
c/o
CA 90035
Dear Ms. Danner,
I would like the opportunity to discuss with you the making of a 30 second Public Service Announcement for TV related to the early detection of oral and throat cancers. An opportunity exists for the extremely high death rate from this disease to be brought down significantly without the introduction of a new miracle drug, treatment, or diagnostic procedure. This PSA is an integral part of the solution. I am contacting you because of your intimate knowledge of how devastating this disease can be, and your significant celebrity status. As a survivor of a late stage throat cancer myself, and someone who works with families daily that face this disease, I know that this communication will likely renew thoughts of an intimate loss in your life, and the pain associated with it. So I start this letter with both a sincere thank you for taking the time to consider its contents, and an apology for bringing to the surface difficult emotions that must still be palpable to you.
Unlike many cancers, awareness and early diagnosis alone can bring the death rate from this disease down significantly. What is needed is a public campaign, instilling in that public consciousness not only the knowledge of the disease, but that a simple, 5 minute, painless, inexpensive, annual screening can save lives. I am asking for your help in making that possible.
While there is much about this disease that you are obviously aware of, to ensure your complete understanding of what I propose, I need to state some facts to make my case for what is needed, and how your personal involvement would make a critical difference. In the US alone, about 40,000 individuals will be newly diagnosed this year with oral and throat cancers. Only 50% of them will survive 5 years. This is because more than 66% of cases are found as late stage, well developed cancers. It has a propensity for recurrence, and long-term survival rates are dismal for those diagnosed in later stages. As a late stage survivor myself, I assure you that this fact weighs on me personally. Approximately one person per hour every day of the year dies from it in the US. This statistic has remained relatively unchanged for over four decades. While this used to be thought of as a disease of older smokers, evidence now indicates that the fastest growing segment of victims are non-smoking individuals in their 30
