Buildings illuminate in turquoise to raise lung cancer awareness
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There's a turquoise takeover happening to help fight lung cancer. Buildings in the Philadelphia region and around the country are lighting the night sky in turquoise this week to raise awareness about the leading cause of cancer deaths.
Aaron Hawkins has run in 46 marathons and is proud to show off his hardware.
The 47-year-old is the picture of health, but that didn't keep him from getting lung cancer.
"I was never a smoker -- that doesn't preclude you from getting lung cancer," he said. "What did they attribute this to? They really don't know."
Doctors said there are a growing number of young people, like Hawkins, who are being diagnosed.
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While smoking remains the main cause of lung cancer, random exposure and pollution also increase the risk.
For Hawkins, the spot on his lung was found incidentally during a cholesterol screening.
"My story would be completely different if I got diagnosed a year later," he said.
"If lung cancer is caught early, it can be treated and sometimes cured," said Dr. Albert Rizzo, with the Lung Association.
Dr. Rizzo said the problem is that there usually aren't symptoms early, and screenings are only offered for smokers.
"If there aren't any symptoms, how do you find it early," he asked. "Really, there is no good screening for it. That's a gap in our research and in our knowledge."
Aiming to close that gap, buildings are being illuminated in turquoise this week to raise awareness during lung cancer action week.
"Lung cancer is still the number one cause of cancer death for both men and women," Dr. Rizzo said.
That staggering statistic is partly because millions who are eligible for screenings don't get them.
However, survival rates for lung cancer have increased 25% because of improved treatments.
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"I'm a lucky one 'cause I caught it early," Hawkins said.
Hawkins had surgery and is back to running as a lung force hero on the front lines, fighting the leading cancer killer.
To learn more about how to keep your lungs healthy, as well as information about lung disease, visit lung.org.
