Free to Breathe: Walk for Lung Cancer awareness

By RENEE LePERE

Felling Fit Correspondent

Tom Cappiello is used to beating the odds.

Three years ago, he was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer and was given a grim prognosis. He beat the odds with chemotherapy and radiation.

In 2009, he initiated the Southwest Florida Free to Breathe 5k Run/Walk and One Mile Memorial Walk. The event raised $30,000. The following year, the event raised $54,000. This year, Cappiello has set the goal at $100,000, noting "we're on track to meet that goal."

The event kicks off at 8:15 a.m., Nov. 12, at Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road in Port Charlotte.

Free to Breathe events were started in 2006 in Philadelphia to raise the public's awareness of lung cancer and to increase research funding to battle the disease.

The cause has since gone national, increasing support for the National Lung Cancer Partnership (NLCP). The goal of the NLCP is to decrease lung cancer deaths and improve treatment and life expectancy for patients through awareness, advocacy and research.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 220,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer annually.

This type of cancer kills more than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined, the ACS said. Yet, breast cancer receives $750 million yearly from the government. Lung cancer receives $267 million.

"That means each person diagnosed with breast cancer gets $19,419 in research," Cappiello said, quoting NLCP data. "A person diagnosed with lung cancer only gets $1,888. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer patients is 90 percent. Lung cancer is only 16 (percent). In 40 years time, breast cancer survival rates have increased 15 percent, while lung cancer is only 4 (percent). It's appalling how little money is put into research."

Cappiello said he thinks he knows why not as much money is donated to lung cancer research -- the social stigma of it being a "smoker's disease."

"The attitude is 'you smoke, you brought this on yourself,'" Cappiello said. "Which is not necessarily true -- there are people who never smoked but have lung cancer from second-hand smoke. And with lung cancer, there are plenty of people who stopped smoking decades ago, and still get lung cancer."

The race will begin at 8:15 a.m., but opening ceremonies will include a bagpiper-led, one-mile memorial walk for those who have died of lung cancer. Their names will be displayed along the course.

Same-day registration will be available, though Cappiello recommends participants register online before the race.

Corporate sponsors are also welcome. Southwest Florida Ford dealers have already pledged a $60,000, three-year donation to the event.

The success of the previous events has Cappiello hopeful the race will continue to grow. His dream? Enough walkers and runners to fill the 5,000-seat stadium.

For more information, visit http://participate.freetobreathe.org.