According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the country. In fact, it kills more people than colon, prostate, and breast cancers combined. In Northeast Ohio, lung cancer hits particularly hard and experts say that has a lot to do with the high rate of smoking. In Cleveland the rate of smoking is more than twice the rate of the national average, and the death rate from lung cancer is two-thirds higher.
As part of the Be Well series Navigating Cancer, Managing Producer of Health Kay Colby sat down with Dr. Stan Gerson, director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, to find out about local efforts to put a dent in the alarming statistics related to smoking and lung cancer deaths.