November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Lakewood, NJ --- November
is Lung Cancer Awareness Month; a good time to learn about all the risk
factors associated with lung cancer and how to reduce them. According
to the American Cancer Society (ACS), lung cancer is the leading cause
of cancer death for both men and women in this country. More people
die in this country from lung cancer than from colon, breast, prostate,
liver, kidney and melanoma cancers combined.
An estimated 161,000 people died from lung cancer in this country last
year. Lung cancer can strike anyone, but is most often attributed
to smoking. According to the American Cancer Society, about 90
percent of lung cancer deaths are attributed to cigarette smoking. Smoking
also increases a person’s risk for heart disease, stroke and a
myriad of other life threatening diseases. In fact, more than a decade
ago, the Surgeon General declared cigarette smoking as the major single
cause of cancer deaths in this country – a statement that remains
true to this day.
Symptoms of lung cancer can include a chronic cough, hoarseness, coughing
up blood, unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite, fatigue, shortness
of breath or wheezing, unexplained fever, repeated bouts of bronchitis
or pneumonia and chest pain.
One of the best ways to reduce your risk for lung cancer is to quit
smoking. According to Connie Greene, Vice President of the Saint Barnabas
Institute for Prevention, “No matter how long or how much you’ve
smoked, quitting tobacco decreases your risk of developing lung cancer,
and after 10 years smoke-free, your risk of dying from this disease
is 30 to 50 percent less than for those who continue to smoke,” she
explains.
“With a weak economy and the new federal tobacco tax increase
bringing up the cost of a pack of cigarettes to $7.50 in New Jersey,
now really is a great time to quit smoking,” says Greene.
The Institute for Prevention offers one-on-one individual assessments
and also offers weekly support meetings to help individuals successfully
kick the habit. As an added incentive, the Institute is offering
free nicotine patches for the first two weeks to individuals who sign-up
and attend the quit program.
Support group sessions are held at Kimball Medical Center’s Center
for Healthy Living located at 198 Prospect Street, Lakewood. If
you are interested in registering or would like more information, please
call the Quit Center at 732-886-4149 or visit www.instituteforprevention.com.
Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention has
successfully implemented the Clean Air for Healthcare
Policy at all Barnabas Health Hospitals and
Affiliates. Smoking
is no longer permitted on System facility grounds,
including parking lots and decks.
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