October 31, 2006

In an effort to bring awareness to the seriousness of lung cancer, Governor Granholm and the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) are observing November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in Michigan with the American Cancer Society estimating that in 2006, there will be 6,240 new cases of lung cancer and 5,810 lung cancer related deaths in Michigan.

"Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. More than ninety-five percent of lung cancers that occur among current smokers were found to be a result of smoking and sadly, ninety percent of all smokers start using tobacco before the age of 18," said Janet Olszewski, MDCH Director.

Non-smokers who breathe second-hand smoke can also develop lung cancer. Non-smoking spouses of smokers have a 30 percent greater risk of developing lung cancer than do spouses of non-smokers. Increasing age, a family history of lung cancer, and exposure to asbestos, radon, or other specific cancer-causing agents in the workplace or environment are also factors that increase an individual's risk of developing lung cancer.

Though most forms of lung cancer do not cause symptoms until they are in advanced stages, the following symptoms should be reported to your physician if you are at risk:

· A cough that does not go away

· Chest pain, often made worse by deep breathing

· Hoarseness

· Weight loss and loss of appetite

· Blood or rust-colored sputum (phlegm)

· Shortness of breath

· Recurring infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia

· New onset of wheezing

The best way to prevent lung cancer is not to smoke and to avoid people who do. The following free smoking cessation resources are available to help people quit for good:

 Telephone Services

· Michigan Tobacco Quit Line: 1-800-480-QUIT

· National Cancer Institute's Smoking Quit Line: 1-877-448-7848

Online Resources

· Michigan Department of Community Health-Tobacco Resources: www.michigan.gov/tobacco

· National Cancer Institute-Smoking and Cancer: www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/smoking

· American Cancer Society-Tobacco and Cancer: www.cancer.org

· American Lung Association's Freedom from Smoking Program: www.lungusa.org

· Quit Net - Quit All Together: www.quitnet.com

Materials

· Tobacco cessation resource materials including the Michigan Smoker's Quit Kit and the Expectant Mother's Quit Kit are available through the Health Promotion's Clearinghouse online at www.hpclearinghouse.org or by calling 1-800-537-5666.

· The Michigan Providers Tobacco Tool Kit is available through the Michigan Cancer Consortium's website at http://www.michigancancer.org/WhatWeDo/tob-providerstoolkit.cfm.

While smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, the 2004 United States Surgeon General's report states that smoking causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body and conclusively links smoking to the development of other types of cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia and cancers of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, cervix, kidney, pancreas, and stomach. Other chronic illnesses and major causes of death linked to tobacco include heart disease, stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysms, pneumonia, emphysema, sudden infant death syndrome, and premature delivery in pregnant women who smoke.

In conjunction with Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the American Cancer Society will be hosting their annual Great American Smokeout on November 16. The event challenges people to stop using tobacco and raise awareness of the many effective ways to quit for good. For more information about the Great American Smokeout, please visit www.cancer.org.