Lung Cancer/COPD Awareness Month

Ever been around somebody smoking a cigarette? Don't they smell terrible? They don't look so hot, either. Well, November is LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH and COPD AWARENESS MONTH, so you might take the opportunity to tap your friend on the shoulder and say, "Hey! You don't just look and smell bad, but you're killing yourself and possibly me!" Then, direct them to this blog so that they might explore the following links:

Lung Cancer

The National Cancer Institute's Lung Cancer Page--has so much good, solid information laid out so neatly that it makes you feel like a medical professional just to look at it. Includes an amazing Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

The American Cancer Society has chapters all over America with support and information for victims of the disease.

Medline Plus is the user-friendly interface of the National Library of Medicine.

And what if you DO get diagnosed? Cancer.net has a find an oncologist database that helps you find a doctor who can treat it.

COPD

What, exactly, IS COPD? Once again, the National Library of Medicine can help.

The American Lung Association's COPD Center has great information about the disease.

The Mayo Clinic's COPD page is very easy to use and well-organized.

About.com's COPD page is run by a registered nurse with respiratory therapy expertise...and a useful and informative blog.

This article from Medline tells us the number one cause of COPD: smoking.