November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, so today’s column is dedicated to helping move this cause forward.

Based on 2006 data (the most recent CDC data I could find), heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans, but cancer is a close second. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. It is diagnosed in 200,000 Americans and kills more than 90,000 each year, with an incidence of about 70 per 100,000.

October, with its pink ribbons, T-shirts and yogurt lids, has passed, and I couldn’t be happier.

Thanks for those who dutifully bought pink. It did a lot of good. But to me, all that pink is a sore reminder of my mom’s death seven years ago, caused by a cancer seldom remembered with ribbons, walks or products hawked in women’s magazines.

Like about 160,000 others each year, my mother — who baked cakes, led Girl Scout troops and was an eager learner who returned to school while raising four children — died of lung cancer.

Kingsford resident Cornelius Coelho has told his story as part of Lung Cancer Awareness Month to dispel the myth that the disease affects only smokers.

Mr Coelho lived a healthy lifestyle of no cigarettes or alcohol and teaching martial arts.

But in January last year, he was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer stage 4.

In May 2009, I published an article on Huliq News entitled American Lung Association: Worsening of Lung Disease Linked to Pollution, which explored the history of the American Lung Association (ALA) and its fight to reduce atmospheric pollution and carbon emissions. I had the pleasure of interviewing Janice Nolen, Assistant Vice President of the ALA’s National Policy and Advocacy Branch. Read the transcript below…

Consider these numbers:

- Research spending per breast cancer death: $23,754.

- Research spending per lung cancer death: $1,414.

Lung cancer will kill twice as many women as breast cancer this year.

In fact, 30 percent of all cancer deaths stem from lung cancer.

The Florida Department of Health reports that lung cancer takes more lives than breast, prostate, colon, liver, kidney and melanoma combined.

In recognition of National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the CaroMont Cancer Center is sponsoring a “Living Well After Lung Cancer” dinner at 6 p.m. Monday in the Pine Room at Gaston Memorial Hospital. All lung cancer survivors and their family and friends are invited to attend. Dinner is free for lung cancer survivors and $5 per guest. The featured speaker will be thoracic surgeon Dr. Andy Light of Carolina Surgery. Please call the CaroMont Cancer Center at 704-834-2932 for information or registration.

St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and the Mercy Regional Cancer Center are pleased to host Lilly Oncology on Canvas: Expressions of a Cancer Journey, an art exhibit honoring the physical and emotional journeys people face when confronted with a cancer diagnosis. This free public exhibit tours communities nationwide and will showcase 25 selected pieces of art.

n recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November, Lilly Oncology on Canvas will be on display during regular business hours…

Yesterday, Colleges Against Cancer held an informative table to raise awareness and earn money to fight lung cancer on Fairfield Way yesterday.

Colleges against Cancer is a subdivision of the American Cancer Society, according to the American Cancer Society’s Web site.

UConn has been involved with the program for about 6 years, and has already raised about $200 to fight lung cancer.

Ten months ago, Pembroke resident Brenda Mastrangelo was diagnosed with a severe case of lung cancer. And although she has been through chemotherapy every month since the time she was diagnosed, doctors gave her one-year to live.

“That means I have two months to live if I’m just another statistic,” said Brenda. I’m sure there are miracles. Maybe I’ll be a miracle. I was given a year to live, last year. That means I have two months left. I’ve done chemo these last 10 months and I had a scan four weeks ago and the chemo hasn’t worked and the cancer has progressed.”

A CAMPAIGN has been launched by Southend Hospital to highlight the symptoms of lung cancer, a disease which kills four people in the UK every hour.

Specialist nurses hope the shocking statistic will make people more aware of unexplained symptoms which need to be checked promptly by a GP.