November: Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Generally, I try to keep my posts non-personal, but one of my personal goals is something I feel strongly about: every smoker should QUIT. This is self evident, but November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and my glorious alma mater posted this in their electronic newsletter:

Smokers have several strikes against them that help make lung cancer the leading cancer killer in America. For one, the early stages of the disease—coughing, shortness of breath, weight loss, fatigue and coughing up blood—often go undetected because they are common to smokers. In addition, there is the stigma that smokers bring the disease upon themselves. These factors lead to late diagnosis, which is often deadly. The yearly death toll is higher than 160,000, claiming more lives than breast, prostate, colon and pancreas cancers combined. The U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center provides these and other important facts during November, which is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Join me in taking deeper, longer breaths - and more of them.