MINNESOTA [11/18/20]— U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate November 2020 as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Their resolution promotes the importance of early detection of lung cancer to help save lives. It also recognizes the need for research to improve early diagnosis, screening and treatment.
Sens. Smith and Rubio said that lung cancer is unfortunately the leading cause of cancer-related death among men and women in the United States—accounting for more deaths than colon cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
“We need to take every possible step to fight this terrible disease that kills tens of thousands of people in Minnesota and across the country each year,” said Sen. Smith. “In July I introduced legislation to expand coverage for lung cancer screenings for individuals 40 or older to help detect the cancer earlier. Former Minnesota U.S. Representative Rick Nolan and his daughter Katherine inspired me to introduce the bill. Katherine, who courageously fought stage 4 non-smoking, non-small cell lung cancer for five years before succumbing to the disease, was a fierce advocate for early detection and research. I’m glad to introduce this bipartisan resolution and carry on Katherine’s fight.”
“Thank you Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tina Smith (D-MN) for working with us to provide national attention to the needs of the lung cancer community through this Senate Resolution that honors November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Your leadership helps spotlight this devastating disease and brings opportunities for us to work together to save lives and improve the quality of life for the hundreds of thousands of people impacted. This Lung Cancer Awareness Month Resolution will add momentum to efforts to build national awareness, advance earlier detection and personalized treatments and help increase research funding to discover breakthroughs and cures. Thank you for helping lead this coordinated plan of action to transform survivorship.” —Laurie Fenton Ambrose, Co-Founder, President & CEO of GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer
The resolution is cosponsored by Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Shelley Capito (W. Va.).
The resolution is also supported by the Minnesota American Cancer Society/Cancer Action Network, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI), the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer and the Oncology Nursing Society.
You can read a copy of the resolution here.
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