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November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

CINJ Experts Available for Comment on Advances in Treatment and Research

New Brunswick, N.J., October 27, 2011 - According to the American Cancer Society, more than 6,200 new cases of lung cancer are expected to be diagnosed in New Jersey this year, and 4,200 people will die from the disease. Nationally, more than 157,000 deaths are expected, accounting for 27 percent of all cancer deaths. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risk factors surrounding the disease, as well as treatment and prevention options, during this National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Symptoms include persistent cough, change of color or blood in phlegm, wheezing and recurrent pneumonia or bronchitis. Unexplained weight loss, bone pain, aching joints and a tired feeling can also be symptoms of the disease. According to the National Cancer Institute, tobacco smoke causes most cases of lung cancer and is by far the most important risk factor for lung cancer.

CINJ experts available for comment include:

Michael Steinberg, MD, MPH, FACP, is a member of CINJ and the director of the Tobacco Dependence Program at the UMDNJ-School of Public Health, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and CINJ. This program provides help on quitting tobacco use through treatment, education, research, and advocacy. Dr. Steinberg and colleagues are currently working on an education project that aims to inform South Asians of the dangers of tobacco and smokeless tobacco products and what resources are available to help them stop using these products.

Salma Jabbour, MD, is a radiation oncologist at CINJ and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Jabbour is a member of the Thoracic Oncology Program at CINJ and can discuss the benefits of, and advances in, combined treatments in lung malignancies. Her research interests include identifying genetic markers of recurrence in lung cancer and management of tumor movement during the course of radiation therapy.

Source: NewsWise