This year alone, lung cancer will claim 161,840 Americans’ lives. Moreover, according to federal government statistics, in 2004 more people died from lung cancer than from breast, prostate and colon cancer combined. Despite these glaring statistics, lung cancer seems to be one disease that people are less likely to think about, according to Ivy Tuason, program coordinator for the Lung Cancer Program at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. "There is a need to focus on fighting lung cancer," Tuason states.

Often times when dealing with lung cancer people will wait too long, at which point the cancer has already reached an advanced level, making it much more difficult to treat the cancer successfully. Even for those who may not wait too long, there is still no established screening process for lung cancer like there is for other forms such as breast, prostate, and colon cancer.

In an effort to bring much needed attention to lung cancer issues, November has been declared Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Throughout the month, rallies and fundraising events have been and continue to be held. Educational materials will and have been dispersed. In addition, it is encouraged that individual’s make their voices heard through media outlets and attempt to gain official attention for lung cancer with petitions, proclamations, and writing to your local representatives.

This year the American Cancer Society has created a new initiative to help fight cancer. The American Cancer Society (ASC): Cancer Action Network (CAN) Fight Back Express will travel across the country, stopping in hundreds of communities to build the movement to make cancer issues a national priority. ACS CAN will bring the stories of cancer patients, survivors and friends to the presidential candidates to make cancer a priority issue in their administration. The ACS bus aims to spur elected officials to promote prevention and early detection programs, boost funds for cancer research, to promote strong tobacco policies and to ensure access to quality affordable health care for all Americans.

To learn more about the ASC CAN Fight Back Express please watch the video below.

Also, to find out when the bus will be in your town, click here

Awhile back I wrote about a three network telethon entitled “Stand Up to Cancer.” Today September 5th, 2008 the telethon will air on ABC, CBS, and NBC at 8 p.m. EST. The telethon will include musical performances and appearances from actors, athletes, and journalists. The telethon will feature such celebrities as Meryl Streep, Lance Armstrong, Forest Whitaker, Charlize Theron, Hilary Swank, America Ferrera, Danica Patrick, Salma Hayek, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Masi Oka and news anchors Charles Gibson, Brian Williams and Katie Couric. Katie Couric, CBS Evening News anchor said, “"Every time I hear the statistics, I don't know about you all, one person a minute, 1,500 a day, all I can think about is those families whose lives have been shattered by these losses. And clearly, we all felt -- we've all personally experienced loss through cancer. We felt like we had to do something about it, and that's why we've joined forces."

Viewers will be invited to donate by calling the celebrity-staffed phone bank or by texting. However the most unique way to contribute is by purchasing a star in honor of a loved one that will be placed in the “Stand Up to Cancer” constellation. Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News Anchor has purchased two stars for his mother and sister, who both lost their life to cancer.

Although there will be an entertaining component to the telecast, the hope is to entertain the idea of new approaches in the fight against cancer. "Well, there's going to be entertainment. But I hope, more than anything else, there's going to be information because there are a lot of misconceptions about cancer," Charlie Gibson, ABC World News anchor said. "Everybody thinks of it as sort of a monolithic disease. There are hundreds and hundreds of cancers. This is really, A, to raise money, but most importantly to get it in the forefront of the public consciousness."

For more information, click here

If you would like to donate, click here

Mesothelioma Awareness day is just a few weeks away and on September 26th we encourage everyone to spread awareness about the disease. Awhile back I wrote about how Jordan Zevon has a radio campaign designed to bring awareness to mesothelioma. His father, beloved musician Warren Zevon, died on September 7, 2003 due to mesothelioma.

For those who are not familiar with Zevon’s music, he brought us such hits as "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Werewolves of London." Rolling Stone magazine described Zevon as, “literate, satiric, violence-obsessed, funny as hell, piano-pounding, equally capable of deranged rock-outs and beautifully sustained melodies."

Legendary late night talk show host David Letterman was a good friend of Zevon and he recalls his last meeting with Zevon in a recent interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. "Here's a guy who had months to live and we're making small talk. And as we're talking, he's taking his guitar strap and hooking it, wrapping it around, then he puts the guitar into the case and he flips the snaps on the case and says, ‘Here, I want you to have this, take good care of it.' And I just started sobbing."

There are two great ways for you to get involved from now until September 26th. First, we encourage people to contact their local radio stations and request Warren Zevon’s music, which will be followed by a 20 second segment where Jordan Zevon speaks out about mesothelioma. Secondly, individuals can help by contacting their local government officials to declare September 26th as Meso Awareness Day in their areas.

Next month, the nation will join together to spread the word about mesothelioma. September 26^th, 2008 is National Meso Awareness Day and we encourage everyone to help raise awareness about mesothelioma and the dangers of asbestos. The momentous day is also a time to pay honor to those currently struggling with the disease and for those who have lost their battle to this terrible disease.

Although September 26^th is more than a month away, there is still a lot people can do before the day arrives. For instance, Jordan Zevon, son of beloved musician Warren Zevon, has a radio campaign designed to bring awareness to mesothelioma. Warren Zevon was a legendary singer and songwriter who died of mesothelioma in September 2003. Between now and September 26^th, people are encouraged to contact their local radio stations and request Warren Zevon’s music, which will be followed by a 20 second segment where Jordan Zevon speaks out about mesothelioma. Secondly, individuals can help by contacting their local government officials to declare September 26^th as Meso Awareness Day in their areas.