Speaking as a cancer survivor and as one who has done plenty of cancer volunteer work, I have to say that it's easy for a New York Times' columnist with money and insurance to find inspiration in a lucky break. His process alone -- without the cancer -- would come close to breaking many families.

Last November, I fell and broke my wrist. After the emergency room, the surgery, the followup visits, and the rehab, the pre-insurance bills totaled about 25K. Think about cancer surgery followed full-blown chemo and radiation would run and you might see why many of us regard the new health care law as a success even if it's not single-payer.

Kristof has a point about one thing, though: Don't smoke. Lung cancer would be almost nonexistent if it weren't for smoking. He's got a point about sunscreen, too, especially for children.

I saw the article on the breakthrough's in treatment. I have a friend who is a cancer survivor who is wholly cynical about cancer research and the ACS, believing that there simply isn't the incentive to treat cancer successfully because the segment of the population needing cancer meds at any given time is inadequate to generate the kinds of profits that drug companies insist upon if they are to capitalize R&D. If so, that hurts to know! In light of the possibility that she's right, I am grateful for every little bit of progress that squeaks through the system undeterred.