SUNDAY, July 29, 2007 (HealthDay News) -- People diagnosed with the number one cancer killer, lung cancer, now have a new resource for information from the National Lung Cancer Partnership.
This month, the group debuted Living With a Diagnosis of Lung Cancer, a free booklet dedicated to answering basic questions about what the diagnosis means .
"When people hear the words, 'You have lung cancer,' their mind starts racing, and they hear or remember very little of what comes next," Dr. Joan Schiller, M.D., president of the National Lung Cancer Partnership, said in a prepared statement. "Even in this age of the Internet with information at your fingertips, patients and their families often don't know what to ask or are intimidated about doing so. This booklet was designed to be an easy-to-read resource for many of the initial questions people might have, from what kinds of doctors will be treating you to whether or not a clinical trial is right for you."
The partnership has compiled information about lung cancer and treatment options, including a discussion of standard treatments such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Patients can access the booklet online, where the book also has links to additional resources such as the dictionary of medical terminology at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more people die from lung cancer each year than any other type of cancer. In 2003, the most recent year for which data is available, 105,508 men and 84,789 women were diagnosed with lung cancer, while 89,906 men and 68,084 women died from the disease.
More information
To access the booklet and other lung cancer resources, visit the National Lung Cancer Partnership.
