The rate of Canadians being diagnosed with cancer is on the rise. And as our population ages, more people are living with—and dying of—the disease than ever before.

Cancer. It’s a word that can strike fear into the hearts of the healthiest men and women. A word that touches all our lives, eventually. One out of every 4 Canadians will die from the disease. Today, we’re looking at the state of cancer care and cancer concerns - in this country. We’ll look at cancer research, and how its funded. And we’ll meet a woman who developed hereditary breast cancer in her 30s. The disease brought her face to face with death, but her Christian faith and her family brought her through.

THE CONTEXT

Here are the latest stats from the Canadian Cancer Society:

• 166,400 new cases of cancer will occur in Canada in 2008
• there will be 73,800 deaths from cancer
• lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women
• 42% of new cancer cases, and 60% of cancer deaths occur in people 70 or older
• almost 40-percent of Canadian women, and 45-percent of men will develop the disease during their lifetimes.

THE GUESTS

HEATHER CHAPPELL
Senior Manager of Cancer Control Policy, Canadian Cancer Society
www.cancer.ca

The Canadian Cancer Society is the largest charitable funder of cancer research in Canada. They're also the "go to" source for information about the disease. Melinda Estabrooks visited The Canadian Cancer Society to find out more.

MARTHA MCCLEW
Ontario Provincial Director, Terry Fox Foundation
www.terryfoxrun.org

A teenager who lost a leg to cancer. Terry Fox was an unlikely Canadian hero.  Yet his courage and enthusiasm inspired a nation—when he set out to run across it—in his Marathon of Hope. Tragically, he never finished his journey. He had to stop, when the cancer spread to his lungs. He died 27 years ago in 1981. But his legacy lives on.
To date, more than $400 million dollars has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry's name through the annual Terry Fox Run. And now, the van that Terry called “home” during his run is once again making it’s way across the country in the "Tour of Hope." Martha McClew is the Ontario Provincial Director of The Terry Fox Foundation. She joins us in studio.

KATHY WRIGHT
Diagnosed with Breast Cancer and Overcame it
3RD Generation of Family with Breast Cancer

She was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40. Her mother died of it at 41. Her aunt at 37, and her grandmother at 43. But for Kathy Wright - her struggle to find faith and hope in God through the cancer journey -  lead her to the most unlikely of places.

DAVE FITZGERALD
Comedian
Passed away on March 16, 2000 from Cancer
www.humor411.com

From Humor411.com “After his 3rd bout with cancer, Dave Fitzgerald passed on March 16, 2000. He never wanted anyone to feel sorry for him. He was delighted that because of modern medicine and his "magic mud" he was able to enjoy life for four more beautiful years. His amazing attitude lives on. For more information about his life, or to find out how to make donations in his memory, please visit www.humor411.com/humor/dave_fitzgerald.html