[CliffFletcher]

Breast cancer gets most attention - but is that fair?

...The cancer that Reade is battling - lung cancer - kills more people than any other cancer in the country and is second only to heart disease among all causes of death.

Breast cancer comes in at 11th on that list, behind colorectal. In terms of research and fundraising dollars, though, breast cancer climbs to the top.

In 2011, National Cancer Institute funding for breast cancer was twice the amount for lung cancer. Calculated according to deaths, that comes to $15,638 per breast cancer death that year compared with $1,891 per lung cancer death, and $2,641 per pancreatic cancer death.

Last year's Race for Breath fundraiser for lung cancer in Virginia Beach didn't even raise a fourth of the local Komen Race for the Cure tally of $423,000 for breast cancer. And Komen's 7,000 participants this year had a leg up on the 500 expected at Saturday's Race for Breath.

Pancreatic cancer does not affect as many as lung or breast cancer, but it's much deadlier, with one of the lowest survival rates of all the cancers.

Breast cancer, by contrast, has one of the highest survival rates, meaning more people in good health to raise awareness with their personal stories...