Lung Cancer Awareness Month Lung cancer is currently one of the leading causes of death for American men and women, as it kills more people each year than breast, prostate, colon and pancreas cancers combined. Unfortunately, the disease is rarely found in its early stages, there is no current screening tool that effectively detects the disease early, and current methods of early detection are still being studied. For these reasons, many recognize the importance of raising awareness about lung cancer, and this November marks National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. This month is designed to bring attention to lung cancer issues by organizing rallies, distributing educational materials, holding fund-raising events, contacting Congress, and speaking to the media. Last November, the American Legacy Foundation® and the National Association of Broadcasters partnered together to begin a national public service campaign for Lung Cancer Awareness Month that will continue this year. The campaign, Code Blue for Lung Cancer, is a comprehensive national effort to educate the public about preventing lung cancer and increasing survival rates for those struggling with it. Code Blue includes a 30-minute documentary and discusses how to reduce lung cancer deaths, primarily through early diagnosis and by quitting smoking. The campaign is available in both English and Spanish, and it also includes radio and television public service announcements, a guidebook for local broadcasters, and an accompanying online component. More information can be found about the campaign through the Code Blue website at www.americanlegacy.org/codeblue. The 30-minute documentary portion of Code Blue explores the devastating impact of lung cancer on four families. The four featured individuals in the documentary are Colleen Cayton, a mother of two in her 60's, Wayne Geer, a resident of Chicago in his 70's, Joseph Vincent, also a resident of Chicago and in his 70's, and Susan DeWitt, a mother of three in her 40's. Sadly, Susan Dewitt and Joseph Vincent recently passed away due to the effects of lung cancer. Joseph Vincent, who quit smoking in 1975, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in January of 2006. By the time he was diagnosed, the cancer had already spread to his bones and eventually it also spread to his nervous system. Susan DeWitt had not smoked a cigarette since 1997 when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in January of 2004 at the age of 39. Although the cancer spread to her brain, doctors were able to successfully remove the tumors there after a series of surgeries. Joseph and Susan were only two individuals out of the hundreds of thousands of people diagnosed with this disease every year. By educating the public about lung cancer through campaigns such as Lung Cancer Awareness month and Code Blue, many people can be affected and perhaps many lives could be spared. The Foundation would like to encourage others to recognize the meaning of the month and to educate those they know who smoke to be aware of the dangers of lung cancer and what they can do to quit. Please check out Legacy's Web site at www.americanlegacy.org for suggestions on how to help a loved one to quit smoking.