Diane Colton is Unmasking the Reality of Lung Cancer

“Everyone can be a pebble that can help create an avalanche of change."
- Diane Colton, Founder of Unmasking the Reality of Lung Cancer

Most people don’t name their cancer tumors…but Diane Colton did. Wally Walnut, Lizzy, and Liza were their names. In 2011, Diane walked into an emergency room because she was coughing up blood. She was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery on her upper left lobe to remove a tumor she affectionately named Wally Walnut. By the summer of 2012, Diane was back in treatment for her second bout of cancer that had moved to her lymph nodes. It took ten radiation treatments to get rid of Lizzy and Liza. And then, Diane went through her third round of cancer treatment in 2019 where it had moved to her brain.

Thankfully, Diane is now one of the 3% of stage IV lung cancer survivors who have lived beyond the 5-year mark and part of less than 1% who had minimal treatments to bring the cancer into check. A nonsmoker prior to her diagnosis, Diane now focuses on supporting lung cancer research and helping end the stigma of lung cancer as well as running her own tax preparation business, Mobility Financial Services, Inc. in Calgary, Alberta.

Diane organized and hosted her first “Unmasking the Reality of Lung Cancer” gala in 2019. Radonova attended her recent 2024 gala in Calgary Canada. The well-attended event took place at the Devonian Gardens in downtown Calgary. It included an auction, engaging activities such as the "Operation" game and "Are You Smarter than a Tumor?" challenge, dancing, lung cancer research updates from prominent scientists and researchers plus tasty food and entertainment...all to support lung cancer research projects.

Cancer of the lungs

“I call it ‘cancer of the lungs’ instead of lung cancer,” says Diane. “Smoking and lung cancer are conjoined twins and society tends to stigmatize patients who have lung cancer. ‘Cancer of the lungs’ is a disruptive statement that gets more attention.”

Diane goes on to point out that smoking is also a cause of 16 other types of cancer, including breast cancer, yet there is only a stigma associated with its cause of lung cancer. “Twice as many women die from lung cancer than breast cancer. If you are alive, you breathe, which means you can get cancer of the lungs. All that you need to get lung cancer are lungs.”

Scarcity of awareness

Lung cancer research funding suffers from what Diane calls “scarcity of awareness.” In Canada, it is the least funded of all cancers, yet more people die from lung cancer than any other cancers. 24% of all cancer deaths in Canada are attributed to lung cancer.

Nonprofits rely on donations and compete with each other. Her goal is to figure out how these organizations can work together to share information and funding. Unmasking the Reality of Lung Cancer is now an official charitable organization. Diane gave it this name because cancer of the lungs is an “invisible cancer masked behind misinformation and disinterest.” Her goal is to increase awareness, help lung cancer patients tell their stories, educate the public that there are other causes of lung cancer, such as radon exposure, and to support lung cancer research.

Prevention and early diagnosis for lung cancer

Diane is elevating provincially supported lung cancer screening, early prevention, and improved treatments in Canada. Her goal is to see early screening programs developed to catch lung cancer before it progresses too far which improves the prognosis.

Organizations in this group of research initiatives include the following:

• Evict Radon National Study is a publicly funded national study to understand and prevent Canadian radon exposure and lung cancers.
• Glans-Look Lung Cancer Research studies patients with lung cancer in order to evaluate targeted therapy options and future lung cancer treatments.
• Cancer Screening, Detection, and Risk Reduction Program (CanDoR) at the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute provides lung cancer screening, detection, and risk reduction programs.
• Alberta Lung is the provincial leader in respiratory health that connects, advocates, and engages community members to support better lung health for all.

Diane also advocates for radon testing in homes and offices. According to Diane, radon does not have an instant effect on people. It takes years before the effects show up. Children living in homes with higher than allowed radon levels have a higher risk of lung cancer at a younger age. Diane incredulously asks, “Why are we waiting until radon becomes a problem in homes and why we are talking about children getting lung cancer?"

Lung cancer in Canada

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, lung cancer is projected to be the most diagnosed cancer in 2024 with more than 32,000 Canadians being diagnosed with lung cancer and 20,700 expected to lose their life to the disease this year.

Health Canada reports, “Radon exposure is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. 16% of lung cancers are estimated to be from radon exposure, resulting in more than 3,000 lung cancer deaths in Canada each year.” The cancer risk from radon is from long-term exposure. “The longer you are exposed to high levels of radon the greater your risk.”

A pebble can create an avalanche

One of Diane’s doctors told her that the longer she can stay alive, the “more likely we can find a treatment and the higher your chances are of making impact on change.” That “change” being the stigma, myths, and disinterest in lung cancer. Diane says, “Everyone can be a pebble that creates the avalanche of change.” Diane, it looks like you started as a pebble who has created an avalanche – and Radonova is glad to be part of the avalanche. Thank you, Diane, for your courage and commitment.

You are truly moving mountains!