(Nov. 5) - A series of lung cancer vigils will take place across the nation Thursday evening in a show of support for the millions of people touched by the disease, and to raise awareness about this deadliest of cancers.
Over 30 groups of people will gather on the steps of courthouses and other public spaces in 19 different states for the first nationwide "Shine a Light on Lung Cancer" candlelight vigil.
The gatherings will provide an outlet for lung cancer survivors, family or friends who have lost loved ones and medical professionals who fight the disease to share their personal stories.
Most of the vigils will take place around sunset, allowing for a moment when participants will light candles or glow sticks together. In Boston, where one of the largest gatherings is expected to take place, the top of the famed Prudential Building will glow blue in its honor.
The idea for a nationally-coordinated event was born from a local "Shine a Light" vigil started in Boston three years ago by lung cancer survivor Diane Legg. A mother of three from Amesbury, Mass., Legg was diagnosed in 2005 and turned to advocacy to try to fight the common misconceptions and attitudes surrounding the condition.
She and her supporters were "the driving force behind this whole national effort," explained organizer David Watson of Massachusetts. After attending last year's vigil, Watson recruited the Lung Cancer Alliance to help him spread the effort to communities across America.
"This started very much as grassroots outreach. We have been very pleased by the number of people who will assemble," Watson said. He expects the locally-organized vigils to grow in size and number each year. "We've seen a growing groundswell of interest to memorialize and encourage people to share information about lung cancer."
Lung cancer claims more lives each year in the United States than any other type of cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 220,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease in 2009 and 160,000 will die from it -- more than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.
Lung Cancer Alliance spokesperson Kay Cofrancesco said that while one clear goal of the vigils is to educate people about the disease, "another one is to provide hope and support for those touched by it."
"It's bringing those people together, so that they don't feel alone. Lung cancer is such a devastating diagnosis," Cofrancesco said. The stigma of smoking associated with lung cancer can cause victims to isolate themselves. "We want to let people know that it's OK to talk about this disease."
Lung cancer is commonly thought of as a "smoker's disease" though a large number of cases diagnosed over the past six years involve non-smokers or people who quit smoking years ago.
November is National Lung Cancer Awareness month. Advocates want increased funding for lung cancer research, which currently lags behind less deadly cancers.
To find out more information about vigil locations, visit shinealightonlungcancer.org.
