Volunteers Work with ALCASE to Inspire Action During Lung Cancer Awareness Month; Top Cancer Organizations Partner to Promote LCAM at www.lcam.org.

WASHINGTON -- This November, which is Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM), volunteers across the country will share their personal lung cancer story with media, elected officials, co-workers, neighbors and others. These volunteers, in partnership with the Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support and Education (ALCASE) and other respected cancer organizations are striving to inspire action and get results in the fight against America's top cancer killer.

The American Cancer Society projects that this year lung cancer will take the lives of 160,440 people in the United States -- more than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer combined. Despite killing more than 1.5 million in the last decade, lung cancer receives far less funding, per death, than other cancers. In 2003, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) spent $1,740 per lung cancer death-compared to $13,649 per breast cancer death, $10,560 per prostate cancer death, and $4,581 per colorectal cancer death.

This year marks the debut of www.lcam.org. The site is a partnership between leading lung cancer and cancer organizations to promote LCAM events and information all in one spot.

"Increasing awareness about lung cancer is a big task," says Randolph Urmston, president of the board of ALCASE and a lung cancer survivor. "Our hope is that our efforts in this month and beyond will inspire more research, alert those at risk and give support to patients."

Other LCAM initiatives include rallies, fund-raising events, and ALCASE's LCAM Kits, which include the 2004 poster, stickers, calendar/advocacy trainer and other awareness building items. The kits are available by calling 800-298-2436. ALCASE also is expanding its advocacy efforts during LCAM.

"With ALCASE's move to D.C. this fall, we will catalyze our policy strategy into real action for lung cancer patients," says acting executive director Jane Reese-Coulbourne. "We also believe that our new political advocacy efforts will inspire those interested in the eradication of lung cancer to stand up and demand more research dollars be spent to wipe out the disease."

About LCAM: Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM) is a 30-day national campaign dedicated to increasing attention to lung cancer issues. By organizing rallies, distributing educational material, holding fund-raising events, contacting congress, and speaking to the media, those involved in LCAM bring much-needed support and attention to a disease that each year kills more people than breast, prostate, colon and pancreas cancers combined. For more information, visit www.lcam.org.

About ALCASE: The Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support, and Education (ALCASE) is the only national organization solely dedicated to helping people living with lung cancer. We offer education, support and advocacy programs to lung cancer patients, survivors, their loved ones and those at-risk for the disease. ALCASE is based in Washington D.C. For more information, visit www.alcase.org.