Every year, in October, hundreds, if not thousands, of items are marked with pink ribbons, colored pink or sold promising a small portion of profit towards breast cancer awareness or research.

A Breast cancer awareness stamp, featuring a pink ribbon, was issued in the United States in 1996. Also, 30 million 25-cent coins bearing a pink ribbon were minted for normal circulation in 2006.

Every October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month), money is raised through theme parties or “pink” days. This money is then donated to either breast cancer care or for research on breast cancer.

This breast cancer awareness pink ribbon is also used by some breast cancer related organizations like Pink Ribbon International as a primary symbol.

1. Wearing a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon on your lapel.
2. Make arrangements with your employer to let your co-workers wear jeans on this day and in return, collect a $5 donation from each employee towards Breast Cancer research.
3. Hang a breast cancer awareness wreath on your front door and also take one for your office.
4. Host a dinner during which you can collect donations for breast cancer research. You can also ask the guests to each bring a dish instead of hiring expensive caterers, thus saving on your costs.
5. Include news papers. Ask one to do a write up on breast cancer or write an information bearing letter on breast cancer to an editor.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the United States irrespective of whether they were Asian/pacific islander, American Indian/Alaska native, Black, Hispanic or White.

In the case of women, it is the second most common cancer among American Indian/Alaska Native, Black and White and the third most common one amongst Asian/pacific islander and Hispanic women.

Every year since 1993, the third Friday in October is called National Mammography Day. This was started by Bill Clinton. On this day and throughout the month, women are asked to make mammography appointments. This year, National Mammography Day is on October 16^th.

1. The tumor size is classified into TX, T0, Tis, T1, T2, T3, T4. TX being for the least infected and T4 for the most.
2. Regional lymph nodes are divided into NX, N0, N1, N2, N3. NX again being the weakest form of the disease and N3, the strongest.
3. Metastasis can be divided into MX, M0 and M1 with similar levels of intensity as the above two.

The lung cancer staging system can be defined by combining the stages that the above 3 points are at. It can accordingly be divided into:

a)      Stage Ia – T1, N0, M0

b)      Stage Ib – T2, N0, M0

c)      Stage IIa – N1, M0

d)     Stage IIb – T2, N1, M0 or T3, N0, M0

e)      Stage IIIa – T1-2, N2, M0 or T3, N1-2, M0

f)       Stage IIIb – T(any), N3, M0 or T4, N(any), M0

Stage IV – T(any), N(any), M1

1. Avoid sun tanning and tanning beds. UV light from the sun and tanning beds causes wrinkling and skin cancer.
2. Sunscreen should be applied to all exposed body parts. The Sunscreen should have an SPF of at least 15 so that it offers protection against Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B radiation.
3. Protective clothing such as long sleeved shirts, pants, wide brimmed hats and sunglasses should be worn wherever it is possible.
4. Try to stay in the shade for as long as possible. The sun’s rays are the strongest between 10 am and 4 pm.
5. Water, snow and sand reflect the damaging rays of the sun thus increasing the chances of sunburn and extra caution should be taken when around them.

NSCLC allot four stages to cancer based on severity:

1. Stage I – Confined to the lungs
2. Stage II and III – Confined to the chest with larger and more invasive tumors being stage III
3. Stage IV – Here cancer has spread to other parts of the body

The SCLC has a different staging process:

1. Limited stage (LS)- Cancer stays confined to the area of origin in the chest

Extensive stage (ES) – Cancer spreads to other parts of the body

To be diagnosed with lung cancer can be very devastating for a person and he/she might find it very hard to go through it alone. There are a large number of lung cancer support groups that can be found all over the internet. Here is a list of 5 such groups for people with lung cancer, survivors and their friends and family:

1. Lung Cancer Online
2. LUNGevity Foundaation
3. Lung Cancer Alliance
4. Around.org
5. Daily strength

All of these above support groups are a very good place to start for anybody who has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer and wants support from fellow lung cancer patients.

1. Compared to people who do not smoke, men are 23 times more likely to get infected while in women the chances are 13 times more.
2. In the year 2003 alone, around 171,900 cases of lung cancer were diagnosed and nearly 157,200 of these cases resulted in death.
3. Reduction in smoking or using smokeless tobacco could prevent many of the approximate 12,300 new cases and 12,100 deaths caused by esophageal cancer.