November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM)

Mark your calendars, November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM). It is a national campaign dedicated to increasing awareness of lung cancer and the many issues surrounding the disease. The problem of lung cancer is often overlooked. There are also many misconceptions about the disease. For example, some people believe that lung cancer only affects people who smoke or have smoked. This is simply not true. Not only is Lung Cancer Awareness Month a time to raise support and attention of lung cancer, but it is also a time to remember the many people lung cancer has affected.

Lung cancer is responsible for more deaths in the United States each year than any other form of cancer . In fact, it causes more deaths in the United States annually than breast, prostate, colon, kidney, liver, and pancreas cancers combined. Lung cancer is also the number one cancer killer of women, surpassing all female-related cancers. Approximately 175,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year alone. Although smokers are at the highest risk of being diagnosed with the disease, nonsmokers are also at risk. In fact, more than half of all lung cancer cases occur in people who never smoked. More than half of cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the late stages and more than 150,000 Americans will die of lung cancer this year.

Despite the staggering number of new cases and deaths of lung cancer, there remains a general lack of knowledge regarding the disease. That is why Lung Cancer Awareness Month is so important. Through rallies, educational materials, fund-raising events, Congress, and media, individuals involved with LCAM are able to raise awareness of the seriousness of lung cancer. They are also able to inform the public of the true facts regarding lung cancer. These facts include statistics, risk, causes, prognosis, treatment, signs and symptoms, and prevention of lung cancer.

Although Lung Cancer Awareness Month has drawn national attention, there are some states that do not yet have a proclamation from the governor declaring November Lung Cancer Awareness Month. These states include: Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia. If you live in one of these states and would like to see a proclamation, contact your governor or congressman.

There is much going on during Lung Cancer Awareness Month. If there is nothing going on in your community, start your own event. For more information on lung cancer and how you can become involved with Lung Cancer Awareness Month, visit the Lung Cancer Alliance website at http://www.lungcanceralliance.org/.

Source

Lung Cancer Alliance