Shining a light on lung cancer

Back in 1995, a few organizations came together to recognize Lung Cancer Awareness Day - there were a few awareness activities and some scattered fundraisers. Fast forward to now. Almost 20 years later, over 125 different lung cancer events are spread across three continents during the month of November. This is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and the Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) wants you and everyone you know to help shine a light on this pulmonary condition. Here is some information you might not know, and can tell others about lung cancer:

• In 2014, over 220,000 new people will be diagnosed with lung cancer¹
• Lung cancer is the most common cancer among both men and women
• Lung cancer is the leading cause of death among every ethnic group, and the second leading cause of death in the U.S.²
• Almost 80% of those diagnosed are former or non-smokers

We got a jump-start here at PatientsLikeMe. Right on November 1^st, some on the team joined in the LUNGevity Foundation’s ninth annual Breathe Deep Boston 5K Walk. They’re a new partner of ours, and together, we’ll be collaborating to increase the number of lung cancer members on the site so that more patient-reported information can potentially guide research on the condition. Check out what else our partners at LUNGevity are doing to raise awareness. How can you help shine your own spotlight on lung cancer this November?

• Participate in the #WhipLungCancer Thunderclap social media campaign
• Join Team Lung Love or create your own team
• Find a lung cancer event in your area

If you’re living with lung cancer, shining a spotlight might mean giving that extra support to someone who’s going through a similar journey. Vickie just shared her story on the blog, and there are more than 1,000 lung cancer members on PatientsLikeMe. Every day, they are giving support and finding answers from others who understand what it’s like to live with lung cancer. Join in. Share this post on Twitter and help spread the word for lung cancer.