In 2006, 174,470 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States. About 92,700 men and 81,770 women will develop the disease -- the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women.

An estimated 162,460 men and women will die of lung cancer this year, accounting for 28 percent of all cancer deaths and taking more lives than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. While most people diagnosed with lung cancer will die within the first two years of diagnosis -- this has not changed in 10 years -- some people are cured. There are currently about 333,000 long-term survivors.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) decided to include lung adenocarcinoma as one of the three cancer tissue types in its first ever pilot project to catalogue changes in human cancers.

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) pilot project is expected to take three years. The goal of the pilot project is to sequence the genome of lung cancer. This research will tell us how mistakes in a cell's genetic instructions lead to lung cancer, how to prevent it from spreading and how to prevent recurrence.

Laurie Fenton, President of Lung Cancer Alliance says "This is exciting news for the lung cancer community". "For too long, lung cancer has been ignored, under-funded and under-researched given its massive public health impact. Let us hope this novel research can map discoveries and, ultimately, cure for this most lethal of all cancers".

Heartburn has never really been considered a major health concern. It has been considered uncomfortable and annoying and troublesome -- yet still only a harmless nuisance. In recent studies, though -- summed up in the September 2006 Oprah magazine -- heartburn has been linked to a deadly form of esophageal cancer. Apparently, people who experience heartburn one time per week or more have a fivefold or greater risk of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus -- a cancer with incidences jumping as much as 500 percent over the past 40 years. Experts insist, however, that adenocarcinoma is still rare. One doctor states that 40 percent of Americans have heartburn once per month -- yet only 8,000 to 9,000 people develop this specific cancer each year.

For the unfortunate few who do go on to contract cancer, there is hope in a surgical procedure to remove the cancer and part or all of the esophagus and nearby lymph nodes -- which can dramatically increase the odds for survival. For most of us, a bit of heartburn does not signal an eventual cancer diagnosis. It just means we might need to self-treat the symptoms with over-the-counter remedies. And a recent review at Stanford suggests that sleeping with your head elevated can reduce reflux pain.

You should see a doctor if your heartburn results in a consistent burning sensation, difficulty swallowing, or vomiting.

Lori was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown primary in November 2002 on her twenty seventh birthday. Lori blogs too sexy for my hair. She writes about her experiences with cancer and also how it wrecks havoc on her mental state.

I know what its like to be diagnosed with cancer on your birthday but I really can't imagine not knowing what kind of cancer I have.

Cancer of an unknown primary basically means that they can't tell what part of the body it originated. When a pathologist looks at cancer cells under the microscope they can usually tell if it's a breast cell that is cancerous or lung cell etc. Sometimes the cancer cells don't resemble any normal cells of the body. They are too primitive to identify.

I'm not sure how they begin to treat an unknown primary since there are different chemotherapy drugs given depending on where the cancer originated. Do the doctors just guess and try different regimens?

Lori keeps her sense of humor even though she struggles with the side effects of chemotherapy on a constant basis. She refers to her cancer as ad-duh-no-carcinoma.

Lori is one tough chic!

When NC State basketball coach and ESPN broadcaster Jim Valvano was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma, he was told he had a year to live. During that last year of his life he became an advocate in raising cancer awareness by sharing his personal experience as someone facing life and death with cancer.

According to The V Foundation for Cancer Research website, which Valvano and ESPN founded in 1993, "He was not afraid to let others witness his weakening body or the tears that he shed when he spoke of his certain death during interviews and public appearances. He knew that his body would lose the battle against cancer, but his vibrant spirit was the gift that he would leave behind."

Valvano's message in the fight against cancer was "Don't Give Up ... Don't Ever Give Up!" The V Foundation for Cancer Research continues on in honor of his memory. The V Foundation has raised more than $50 million dollars and awarded research grants in 36 states and the District of Columbia. The foundation's major endeavor is the funding of grants and research, called V Scholars, for promising young scientists from the finest research facilities across the country who need early financial support.

The Jimmy V Foundation hosts a number of fundraising events throughout the year including the Jimmy V Celebrity Junior Golf Classic, V Foundation Wine Celebration and the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic. In addition, there are V Foundation License Plates, and Don't Give Up...Don't Ever Give Up!® wristbands.

Recently, the 2006 ESPY Celebrity Golf Classic, held at Lost Canyons Golf Club in Simi Valley, California, raised $1.1 million dollars for The V Foundation.