Report shares what women need to know and what women can do

Lung Cancer AllianceApr 26 2010

Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) hailed today's release of "Out of the Shadows: Women and Lung Cancer," a groundbreaking report issued by the Mary Horrigan Connors Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.  

"This is the wake-up call for women," said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, LCA President & CEO.  She called the report the most current and comprehensive ever done for the general public on lung cancer.  Fenton also congratulated Yolanda Colson, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of "Out of the Shadows" and her research team for their extraordinary efforts to produce the important and timely report.

Noting that lung cancer has been ignored as a women's health issue, Fenton Ambrose said: "Most women do not realize that lung cancer will take more of their lives each year than breast, ovarian, cervical and uterine cancers combined.  Hopefully this report will galvanize women to become advocates to end this cancer, along with all cancers that impact women so profoundly."

Now it has reached epidemic proportions, she said.

"As a doctor and as the sister of Dana Reeve, a woman who never smoked and who died of lung cancer at age 44, I see lung cancer as the biggest unmet women's public health challenge we face today," said Deborah Morosini, MD, pathologist and LCA Board Member.

"Knowledge is power, and this report gives women the information they need to finally reduce the mortality impact of lung cancer," she said.

The report includes:

• A statistical update on women and lung cancer
• A discussion on sex-based differences in lung cancer
• Insight into the gaps in research funding

Fenton Ambrose noted that she hopes the report will also help create a network of support around women with lung cancer.

"There are so many women out there struggling with lung cancer who feel so isolated and shunned."

"The title of the report - "Out of the Shadows" - refers not just to the disease of lung cancer, but to them - the patients - who have been ignored for too long," she stated.