Learn about lung cancer

November is International Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The official color of lung cancer awareness is clear, but it might as well be invisible to most Americans. There is currently a stigma attached to a person who has/had lung cancer. As Americans we need to put our prejudices aside and make it a point to understand and know the current facts about lung cancer.

Lung cancer takes more lives each year than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. But according to a study conducted by the National Lung Cancer Partnership, 80 percent of respondents didn't know that lung cancer was the No. 1 cancer killer in the U.S. Even though it is the No. 1 killer, it is the lowest funded of all cancer research.

Eighty-eight percent of respondents didn't know that radon, a colorless, odorless natural gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and only 12 percent of respondents said they know the signs and symptoms of lung cancer.

Thirty-two percent of those respondents understood that half of all lung cancers occur in people who have already quit smoking. This lack of awareness of continued risk after quitting smoking may make people less likely to talk with their doctors about symptom recognition.

When awareness is low, people are less likely to understand and pay attention to symptoms, take measures to protect their health and discuss their risks with their doctor.

Learn more about this devastating disease and talk to your doctor about your own risk.

For more information about lung cancer, visit www.NationalLungCancerPartnership.org.

Kathy Reese

Elgin