<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Cindy Graham, 49, has already knitted baby blankets for her daughter for when she has children.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Because she knows she's not going to be there.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Sydney mother-of-four has stage four lung cancer.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/british-police-say-multiple-people-were-stabbed-on-a-train-near-cambridge-and-2-individuals-arrested/0f8497e4-a984-4b4f-b94f-875fe955340d" target="_blank"><strong><span>Police give major update on horror Britain train mass stabbing</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ben-lewis-death-phantom-of-the-opera-love-never-dies-australia-bowel-cancer/94f7aad6-845d-4448-879f-2889a10b25d6"><strong><span>'Much loved' Aussie actor dies from cancer in second tragedy for family</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And while three of her children are adults, her youngest, Charlotte, just turned eight.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"She knows I've got cancer, but she does not know my prognosis," she told 9news.com.au.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/lung-cancer-screening-call-for-more-help/bd313473-93c8-4158-9342-1b27efe93a42" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"My other children are adults and they'll be okay but my little girl, she looks at me and it crushes my heart and soul."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When Graham was given the "devastating" diagnosis five years ago, she had to stop breastfeeding Charlotte to start treatment for the cancer which kills Aussies than any other.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But she has already defied the odds by living this long.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-orders-pentagon-to-prepare-for-war-in-nigeria/8f2e241e-e5bb-467d-8a4b-fa501e379026" target="_blank"><strong><span>Pentagon preparing war plans after Trump threatens nation online</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There is just a 26 per cent chance of surviving for five years after diagnosis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I feel incredibly lucky I've made it this far - most people don't," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite being the most common cancer killer of Aussies, lung cancer is drastically underfunded.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Graham's only symptom was a dull ache in her chest.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Now she must plan her life around scans every three months.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That includes making memories with Charlotte and husband Mitchell, 39, who is in the Navy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/finance/family-financial-help-heating-up-housing-market-finder-survey/ef0be735-9f2d-4a88-a7b0-31c7b642a38f" target="_blank"><strong><span>The concerning factor believed to be behind surging house prices</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Graham, who walked with her family in the Shine a Light event on November 1, is also joining experts in pushing for more funding for the disease, after a new screening program passed 25,000 scans.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/nlcsp/how-it-works" rel="" target="" title="National Lung Cancer Screening Program"><span>National Lung Cancer Screening Program</span></a><span>, which experts say will save more than 12,000 lives in the next decade, launched in June.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Of the 15,000 expected to be diagnosed with lung </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/cancer" target="" title="cancer "><span>cancer</span></a><span> this year, 85 per cent will get the dreadful news at a late stage when it's hard to treat.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Estimates show the program will help diagnose more than 70 per cent of cases at an earlier stage, where there are improved treatment opportunities.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, Graham is backing experts' calls for more funding to actually help improve treatments.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/uk-train-stabbing-what-we-know-updates-explainer/9ac3a054-5aec-4026-b9ef-fe16d9ea4fe5" target="_blank"><strong><span>'Heroic' staffer fighting for his life after saving people in UK train stabbing</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The only reason I'm alive is because of a clinical trial," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We now have the national screening which is wonderful and that is going to pick up so many more cases early, but then we also need effective treatments for them."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The new screening program has seen 29,773 people enrolled with 25,949 low-dose CT scans completed, Lung Foundation Australia CEO Mark Brooke said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"For many years, Lung Foundation Australia has been advocating for this program and it is expected to improve the five-year survival rate of lung cancer with earlier detection and therefore earlier treatment," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"However, there is certainly more that needs to be done.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This includes more funding for vital research."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Lung cancer facts</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Lung cancer kills more Australians than any other cancer, ahead of breast, prostate and ovarian cancers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In 2024 it killed 8918 Aussies, according to Cancer Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Lung Foundation Australia </span><a href="https://lungfoundation.com.au/support-resources/resource-hub/lung-cancer-scorecard-2025/" rel="" target="" title="says "><span>says</span></a><span> patients have significantly poorer outcomes compared to other common cancers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It received less than a quarter of the funding cash given to breast and colon cancer research between 2011 and 2016, according to Cancer Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One in three women and one in 10 men diagnosed have never smoked.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Those eligible for free screening must be between 50 and 70 years old and have no signs or symptoms.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They must have a history of at least 30 pack years of smoking and are still smoking or have quit only in the past decade.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Anyone interested should see their GP or call the </span><a href="https://lungfoundation.com.au/contact-us/" rel="" target="" title=" Lung Health Helpline "><span>Lung Health Helpline</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.</span></div></div>