November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month…

Over 200,000 people will be told they have lung cancer this year.  It is the leading cause of death from cancer in both men and women; more people die of lung cancer every year than from colon, prostate and breast cancers combined.  Lung cancer makes up 12% of all cancer cases and causes 29% of all cancer deaths in the United States. [1]

The number of men who die from lung cancer has decreased since 1991 while deaths from lung cancer in women have gone up.  However, in the past three years, the death rate for women from lung cancer has leveled off.  We could save future generations from this disease if we invest now in research and education about lung cancer.

This hard-to-detect disease can be largely contributed to first and secondhand tobacco smoke exposure.  For that reason, lung cancer is considered to be a preventable cancer for most people.  It is not common in people younger than age 45, but the smoking and exercise habits of our children and young adults directly impact their likelihood to develop this disease later in life. 

Take a stand on your quality of life – and the lives of those you love!  Take good care of yourself – you are the only one who can!!!  Be well.