This week, monumental legislation was passed dedicated to minimizing lung cancer mortality. Last year, an act was established to reduce lung cancer deaths by 50% by 2015. The new bill allots $75 million towards making this goal a reality.

The Lung Cancer Alliance hails the bill as historic and the biggest step so far in the fight against lung cancer. Included in the bill are facts about the disease and its impact: lung cancer claims more victims each year than breast, prostate, colon, kidney, melanoma and liver cancer--combined.

The bill, known as the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2008, outlines a five-year multi-agency plan that will expand research and boost development in the field of lung cancer drug treatments. Agencies such as the National Cancer Institute, the departments of Health and Human Services, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, and the National Institute for Environmental Health are all involved in the program. To ensure accountability, these firms must submit annual reports to Congress documenting their work and progress.

Senator Feinstein co-sponsored the bill. She said, "Its time for the federal government to step up its efforts and make fighting lung cancer a national priority. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women, but efforts to fund research and innovative new drug therapies have been shortchanged when compared to other cancers." The new legislation will certainly bring necessary political and scientific attention to lung cancer.

To read the entire press release, click here.