Lung Cancer Awareness Month

News From the
New York State
Senator Shirley L. Huntley

For Immediate Release: October 30, 2009

Contact: Antonio Rodriguez | arodrigu@senate.state.ny.us| (518) 455-3531

November Is Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Senator Shirley L. Huntley: It’s time to kick the habit

Resources are available to New Yorker’s who wish to quit smoking this month, which is recognized as Lung Cancer Awareness Month, said Senator Shirley L. Huntley (D-Jamaica).

Lung Cancer Awareness Month is a national initiative dedicated to bringing awareness to lung cancer issues such as support for cancer patients and survivors, as well as assistance for those who would like to stop smoking.

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, and most cases are caused by smoking. The statistics speak for themselves: close to 90 percent of cases in men, and 80 percent of cases in women are caused by cigarette smoking.

• There are many forms of cancer too many to name, however the major cancers associated with the term lung cancer most often are: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, the most common type of lung cancer, is usually associated with a history of smoking. The three main types of non-small cell lung cancer are named for the type of cell found in the tumor: adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma (also called epidermoid carcinoma), and large cell carcinoma.

Small cell lung cancer (sometimes called oat cell lung cancer) accounts for 13 percent of all lung cancer cases and is always associated with a history of smoking. The extent of the disease is described using a two-stage system. A case can either be limited (meaning the cancer is confined to the portion of the lung where it originated) or extensive (meaning the cancer has spread outside the lung in which it began or to other parts of the body). Cancer in any form can be devastating to not only the patient but ones family and friends as well.

“We are fortunate that New York leads the nation in medical services, with accessible resource centers and hospitals across the state,” said Senator Huntley. “However, we can work to decrease the cancer rate through efforts to assist individuals in quitting smoking. This year in New York there will be an estimated 13,550 lung cancer cases, and 8,780 deaths, but this does not have to be the reality going forward. Through preventative efforts, we can lower this number and save lives. Let us create a world with less cancer and more birthdays by encouraging both family and friends to support the American Cancer Society‘s Great American Smoke out on November 19th

This event challenges people to stop using tobacco and helps make people aware of the many tools they can use to quit for good. Individuals can visit the American Cancer Society for more information at: www.cancer.org.