Scared was the original feeling, but it quickly turned around, and the fight came back after Mike Stevens was diagnosed with lung cancer, a disease that according to the Lung Cancer Alliance will kill more people than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney and melanoma cancers combined. “I just came up on three years of living with the disease on June 23, and now I am angry that such a major disease can be virtually ignored,” Stevens said. “Many people, including politicians, believe that lung cancer is being funded, but nothing could be further from the truth.” Stevens, who has been telling his story to whoever will listen and has never shied away from being vocal about the matter, said he believes that lung cancer is most underfunded of all major cancers.          “I’m lucky that I have survived so far when most people don’t,” he said. “This is something that I couldn’t just leave for others to do, especially since there aren’t many people surviving and I have taken on the advocacy role as co-chair in California for the Lung Cancer Alliance.” Stevens, 46 and lives in La Jolla, was forced to sell his camera-shop business after more than 20 years so he could focus his own health and become an advocate for lung cancer research.  “Lung cancer has the stigma behind it that those with the disease deserve it, but no one deserves cancer,” Stevens said. “Smokers and nonsmokers deserve treatment, and many of my friends who have lung cancer or who have lost a spouse to it are nonsmokers.” When the American Cancer Society (ACS) released its 2008 statistics report and did an in-depth analysis of the disease, it suggested that this disease could potentially take 7.6 million lives annually. However, the report also suggested that cancer deaths in United States have declined. “Two people in La Jolla have most influenced my journey,” Stevens said. “And although I won’t mention their names, but they know who they are — whenever things were looking grim, these people really lifted my spirits and cheered me up when matters were bad. Every day is a bonus day and I try to enjoy every one of them, and everyone should have to go through a life-threatening experience to learn how to slow down and enjoy life.” On Nov. 2, Stevens hosted the first San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk, which included a 5K event that started at Cancer Survivors Park on Harbor Drive and a walk around Harbor Island. Proceeds will benefit lung cancer research. For information, call (858) 603-2101 or visit www.lungcanceralliance.org. — Correction appended—