Now, actress Valerie Harper is using her lung cancer to raise awareness on this leading cause of death among women.
"Women need to know about lung cancer what a deadly disease it is," said Harper.
Valerie Harper teams up with the American Lung Association to launch the Lung Force campaign.
Valerie was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009 and recently learned it spread to the lining of her brain.
"I have bad news for everyone, if you have lungs you're in line for lung cancer," adds Harper.
Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer for men and women, more than 100,000 women in the US will be diagnosed this year and less than half of them will be alive next year.
"Lung cancer kills more women than breast, ovarian and uterine cancer combined," said Dr. Andrea McKee, Advisor, American Lung Association.
A recent survey by the American Lung Assoicaiton found that only 1% of the women knew that lung cancer is the deadliest.
You can turn your Facebook and Twitter page turquoise, and through the lung force website you can sign the pledge and share your lung cancer story.
Joining the movement is singer Kellie Pickler who lost her grandmother to lung cancer.
"I hope being a part of this movement will just raise awareness and make this on women's radar," said Pickler.
The sponsor of the event, CVS Pharmacies recently stopped selling cigarettes. Most people assume if you have lung cancer you're a heavy smoker but not always.
It's true that smoking raises the risk --but it's estimated that about 10 to 15% of lung cancer patients never smoked.
Environmental factors and genetics may play a role. Valerie and her mother battled lung cancer, she says neither of them smoked, but there's a stigma.
"You say oh did they smoke that's a prejudice in itself I never smoked," she said.
On the horizon are better methods of detection and treatment.
"In order to implement early detection and further understand new genetic mutations that allow us to treat late stage lung cancer it all comes down to resources," adds Dr. McKee.
Valerie recently testified on Capitol Hill asking for more resources and funding. She's proof that it works.
"Every 2 or 3 months I get a brain scan and it get less and less - it's an improvement," she adds.
LINK: WWW.LUNGFORCE.ORG
