Johanna Lindsey, Prolific Romance Novelist, Dead of Lung Cancer at 67

[Vidya]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/22/books/johanna-lindsey-dead.html

https://nypost.com/2019/12/23/prolific-romance-novelist-johanna-lindsey-dead-at-67/

https://people.com/books/johanna-lindsey-dead-lung-cancer/

I don’t know much about lung cancer. I’m wondering why it doesnt get detected much earlier when there could be a greater chance of a successful cure. Is it insidious, with no warning signs?

[notthatamanda]

Disclaimer - No medical background, just know two people who died of lung cancer that wasn't detected before it spread. (Both non smokers though both grew up in smoking homes. One was 42, one was in their 70s.)

Early detection is especially tough in lung cancer, and other cancers, like ovarian. Both people I knew who got lung cancer were having increasingly bad headaches for over a year before it was discovered it was lung cancer that had spread to their brain.

There are gene based treatments for lung cancer now.  Six years ago one such treatment had a fifty percent chance of four year survival. Survival rates are always changing though. The person who has survived one year today may go longer than four years on the treatment.

[Lynn]

I saw that a few days ago. It's so sad. Loved her books. The Mallorys got me through some tough times. My college age daughter found them on my shelf and fell in love with them too.

Lung cancer is a rough way to go. Got an aunt who didn't make it. It was a long battle.

:(

[DmGuay]

As someone who has stage 4 cancer at 44, most cancers have no symptoms or very subtle symptoms until it's too late and it's spread.

Doctors often overlook any small symptoms particularly if you do not fit a cancer profile: You are young, you don't smoke, you have no risk factors. And, the small symptoms you do have are easily explained away, because they are symptoms of many other less significant issues.

Mine was overlooked because I was young, female, and fit. It's usually an old smoking man cancer. Well, surprise!

It's hard to understand until you are in it. The human body is weird. When we get a cold, you have immediate symptoms, are stuffed up, etc. and it's a nothing illness in the grand scheme. But when our life is actually threatened and it's serious, like cancer, there are no signs until it's too late.

[Kate Elizabeth]

DM, I'm so sorry that you're dealing with this. Internet hugs are so inadequate, but here's a tight one for you from me.

I used to devour Johanna Lindsey books when I was younger. She was one of the reasons why I loved the romance genre.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Disclaimer - No medical background, just know two people who died of lung cancer that wasn't detected before it spread. (Both non smokers though both grew up in smoking homes. One was 42, one was in their 70s.)

My aunt's a non-smoker.  She married a smoker, though her husband smokes outside, not in the house.  She's currently battling lung cancer.   

[notthatamanda]

Sorry DM and Jeff. It's awful and no one should have to go through it.

[She-la-te-da]

So sad. I read a bunch of her stuff years ago, I thought she was a very good writer.

Cancer is a bastard. I had an aunt who got it, heavy smoker for many years. She actually died from complications of surgery to remove part of her lung.

[LilyBLily]

Lost someone dear to me from cancer last year. Everyone knows someone who has had it, it seems. Lindsey got started very early (I can do the math) but she has died young.