Lung Force: American Lung Association’s New Campaign

Since 1987, lung cancer has killed more women than breast cancer, which was a surprise to everyone in this building.  Several of the women where I work hardly ever think about lung cancer, but they are very concerned about breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

When I shared the most recent statistics, they were blown away.  "More than breast cancer??" was the incredulous response.  Yes, more than breast cancer.  More than brain cancer, ovarian, melanoma, thyroid cancer.  As a matter of fact, lung cancer causes more deaths than the next three most common cancers combined (colon, breast and pancreatic).  Lung cancer kills almost twice as many women as any other cancer.   Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer of women, period.

In the last 35 years, the lung cancer death rate has more than doubled in women, and it's not just smokers:  more than two-thirds people diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked or are former smokers.

When lung cancer is diagnosed and treated at an early stage, you have a much higher survival rate, but most cases are not diagnosed until later stages.

The American Lung Association's latest campaign is Lung Force, a campaign to raise awareness of the seriousness of lung cancer.

What can you do?  Stop smoking (or never start).  Get screened for lung cancer (early detection increases survival rate.).  Educate yourself to what lung cancer is and what you can do to prevent it.  Join a Lung Force Walk near you.  And spread the word by turning your Facebook and Twitter profiles turquoise!

Do the world a favor and get a lung screen done today, and encourage family members to do the same; we need to keep people like you on this earth longer.  Don't be one of the estimated 72,000 women who dies from lung cancer within the next year.

For more information, visit the websites of Lung Force and the American Lung Association.

(Via ALA)