You may not know this, but November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. One month that is, as American Lung Association CEO Harold Wimmer puts it, a double-edged sword. While this month draws attention to lung cancer, it is a short-lived conversation, one that is often forgotten after the month is over.

This is incredibly unfortunate as lung cancer is one of the most deadly forms of cancer with a survival rate of only 16 percent. So why aren’t we talking about lung cancer year round? Now, I know that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer – so are we blaming smokers? Is that why there is such little dialogue around this deadly disease?

The fact of the matter is that 19% of adult Americans smoke while 18.1% of American high school students smoke. And in California 12.6% of adults smoke while 13.8% of high school students smoke. Chances are you may know one of those people. Read More »