Not only will 2009 see the installation of the first black President of the United States of America, it will also bring a new sense of hope for the future.Many of us have lost our jobs and our homes in the economic downturn of the past two years and families are still losing loved ones to cancer. The entertainer Eartha Kitt, age 81, recently succumbed to colon cancer, and there are many other reminders that more miracles are needed.
The good news is that the 5-year relative survival for localized breast cancer (malignant cancer that has not spread to lymph nodes or other locations outside the breast) has increased from 80% in the 1950s to 98% today. The 10-year survival rate may be about 80%, according to "Cancer Facts and Figures 2008." Hopefully 2009 will foster a gradual improvement in our country's economy, our status around the world, and the health of Americans and other world peoples.
Each year I donate at least 10% of all sales of my Kanika African Sculptures Survivor Art purchases to breast cancer research. The latest news is that the tide of new breast cancer reportings is starting to turn for the better. With our continued vigilance in leading more healthful lives and escalating medical breakthroughs into disease as a whole, we will hopefully see a reduction in all kinds of cancers.
Wishing you health and happiness in the new year. Sincerely, Kanika Marshall
