As a frequent contributor to Quora.com, a website for asking questions and getting answers from people who are knowledgable about the subject, I have naturally offered input on issues related to lung cancer. After all, one of the first rules for authors is to “write what you know.” Here, in honor of lung cancer awareness month, I am collecting links to some of the answers I have supplied on Quora.

• Read on below the links for more on Lung Cancer Awareness

Some of these questions have many answers and mine might be somewhere down the list, but generally all of them make for interesting reading and good perspectives. Popular ones may have been “upvoted” quite extensively (this could also be the case for older answers while newer answers with more merit may have few upvotes simply because fewer people have viewed them). Also, a lot of the answers are quite brief. Occasionally I do get a bit long-winded, but my contribution to the discussion could be just a few sentences or paragraphs. Overall, however, I think that these questions and answers make for good reading in a format more like a town hall meeting than a typical blog.

For these links below, I have included the answers which are directly about lung cancer or apply to cancer in general; I have also answered a number of questions regarding other specific cancers (and a bunch of questions related to filmmaking, politics and philosophy) which can be accessed by clicking my name next to any answer on Quora, if that floats your boat. Being as this is November, I’m keeping my list here more focused. Besides, these are plenty of links to tie up your afternoon. So get clicking already!

Before you get lost on Quora, please take a moment to like or share this page.

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I have divided the list of links into four groups: Lung Cancer, General Cancer, Alternative Therapy and Positivity and Attitude. This post continues below the links.

Lung Cancer

What are the initial symptoms of lung cancer?

What are the survival rates and times for Stage IV Lung Cancer?

How can I avoid lung cancer?

Are there new treatments for lung cancer?

If the cancer risk from smoking is permanent then why quit?

What-is-the-best-treatment-for-lung-cancer-which-has-already-attacked-the-brain-and-the-spine?

Are-there-any-benefits-of-smoking-20-cigarettes-a-day?

How-much-does-it-cost-to-treat-lung-cancer?

Does-everyone-who-gets-lung-cancer-have-severe-coughing-as-the-main-symptom?

Just-quit-smoking-cold-turkey-last-month-Some-say-quitting-abruptly-is-dangerous-and-can-cause-cancer-Is-that-true?

I-smoke-once-in-10-days-So-are-lungs-already-on-the-verge-of-getting-cancer?

How-many-oncologists-should-we-consult-with-before-picking-one-to-treat-stage-1-inoperable-lung-cancer?

Do-smoking-cigarettes-sometimes-hamper-or-cause-cancer-like-smoking-once-a-week?

Is-a-chest-X-ray-due-to-recurring-respiratory-illnesses-and-coughing-increasing-my-risk-for-cancer?

Is-there-a-way-I-can-find-out-if-I-have-lung-cancer-without-going-to-the-doctor-Are-there-symptoms-and-signs?

General Cancer

When-will-people-cure-all-kinds-of-cancers?

Have-any-cancer-specialists-heard-of-3bp-3-bromopyruvate-If-you-have-is-it-the-miracle-cure-Ive-read-it-is-for-cancer?

How-many-known-cures-for-cancer-are-there?

What-has-the-rate-of-cancer-among-30-50-year-olds-been-in-the-United-States-over-the-past-100-years?

Is-there-any-scientific-proven-ways-to-prevent-cancer?

Can-radiotherapy-fully-destroy-a-tumor?

My-little-sister-is-in-the-hospital-on-chemo-and-is-complaining-about-her-head-being-itchy-and-burny-Is-this-a-sign-her-chemo-is-working?

Is-there-any-new-drugs-designed-to-cure-cancer?

My-friend-has-stage-4-cancer-and-is-on-maintenance-chemo-indefinitely-What-can-she-do-for-work-once-neuropathy-sets-in?

When-or-why-would-someone-forgo-cancer-treatment?

Should-we-be-looking-for-a-cure-for-cancer?

How-long-do-toxins-from-chemotherapy-stay-in-your-body?

How-can-researching-what-causes-cancer-lead-to-a-cure?

What-makes-a-tumor-inoperable?

What-is-probably-going-to-be-the-cure-for-cancer-When-will-we-discover-it?

How-long-does-chemo-usually-last?

How-does-one-survive-cancer-Whats-the-chance-of-surviving-cancer?

What-is-the-opposite-of-metastatic-cancer?

Is-it-likely-that-there-will-never-be-a-cure-for-cancer?

Is-early-cancer-detection-the-ultimate-cure?

What-should-I-avoid-watch-out-for-when-wanting-to-prevent-cancer?

Can-my-25-year-old-girl-with-nonmetastatic-cancer-be-fully-cured?

Can-you-become-cancer-proof-by-getting-frequent-screenings?

Why-is-the-cure-for-cancer-so-elusive?

Is-there-a-serious-independent-and-documented-study-about-the-effectiveness-or-lack-thereof-of-the-chemoradiotherapy-treatment?

Which-is-worse-waiting-to-find-out-if-you-have-cancer-or-actually-knowing-that-you-do?

Is-it-true-that-everyone-or-most-people-get-cancer?

When-facing-cancer-is-it-useful-to-know-survival-statistics?

How-old-is-cancer?

What-added-value-does-an-oncologist-provide-in-the-treatment-of-cancer?

What-are-some-advancements-they-are-making-towards-cancer-treatments-and-cures?

When-cancer-is-only-detected-after-it-has-metastasized-and-spread-how-do-oncologists-know-where-in-the-body-it-originated?

What-is-the-current-state-of-research-in-cancer?

Are-experimental-biologists-capable-of-curing-cancer?

Why-do-people-care-so-much-about-breast-cancer-and-not-other-types-of-cancers?

Alternative Therapy

Does-hemp-oil-work-for-lung-cancer?

What-kind-of-food-helps-people-during-Chemotherapy?

What-kind-of-cancers-are-not-preventable-at-all-by-following-a-healthy-and-balanced-lifestyle?

Why-does-everyone-who-smokes-marijuana-seem-to-think-it-should-be-legalised-cures-cancer-is-completely-safe-Case-in-point-it-isnt-safe-I-would-have-thought?

Dr-Leonard-Coldwell-is-said-to-have-cured-35-000-cancer-patients-in-Europe-without-traditional-medicine-Who-can-testify-to-this-based-on-first-hand-information?

Is-homeopathy-useful-in-the-advanced-stages-of-lung-cancer?

Can-chiropractic-care-help-me-recover-from-cancer?

Do-cancer-cells-vibrate-at-different-frequency?

In-alternative-medicine-what-is-the-proven-concentration-of-THC-CBD-to-effectively-cure-control-cancer?

How-true-are-claims-that-it-is-possible-to-cure-cancer-and-other-diseases-with-an-electromagnetic-machine-such-as-Antoine-Priore?

Is-potato-juice-a-cancer-cure?

How-effective-is-the-aloe-vera-plant-in-cancer-treatments-as-being-claimed-in-some-quarters?

Why-do-some-enlightened-masters-still-get-diseases-or-cancer?

When-it-comes-to-cancer-treatments-what-do-researchers-think-of-the-Phoenix-Tears-way-of-treatment-instead-of-chemotherapy?

How-do-I-measure-and-make-sense-of-my-bloods-pH-oxygen-and-blood-sugar-levels?

What-are-alternative-therapies-for-treatment-of-cancer?

I-hear-lots-of-people-say-that-the-cure-for-cancer-has-been-found-Doctors-dont-say-anything-because-it-affects-the-insurance-business-Is-this-true?

Can-cancer-ever-go-away-without-treatment?

Can-the-alkalinizing-effect-of-sodium-bicarbonate-stop-cancer?

Can-meditation-cure-cancer?

What-are-natural-healers-for-lung-cancer?

Would-it-be-possible-to-slow-down-the-progression-of-ones-cancer-by-going-on-an-almost-starvation-diet-so-as-to-deny-the-hungry-cancer-cells-the-food-they-need-to-multiply?

Is-there-any-proven-research-about-the-effects-of-eating-carrots-or-grass-on-cancer-cells?

When-it-comes-to-cancer-treatments-why-do-doctors-neglect-Phoenix-Tears?

Positivity and Attitude

How-do-I-keep-my-focus-and-motivation-up-after-being-diagnosed-with-a-cancer-and-if-now-professional-success-shall-at-all-be-my-priority-My-cancer-is-in-remission-and-do-not-have-an-idea-when-it-will-return?

How-do-I-tell-my-terminally-ill-mother-that-the-doctor-has-given-up-on-the-cancer-treatment?

My-girlfriends-mom-has-cancer-and-I-feel-rejected-What-should-I-do?

What-are-some-of-the-best-exercises-or-yoga-for-a-cancer-survivor?

My-mom-had-cancer-What-can-I-do-to-help-my-family-and-myself?

My-mothers-father-has-been-diagnosed-with-cancer-had-the-chemo-but-he-hasnt-responded-well-so-needs-more-chemo-What-can-I-say-to-help-her-out?

If-you-get-cancer-does-that-mean-youre-going-to-die-for-sure?

How-should-I-deal-with-the-news-of-a-relative-diagnosed-with-cancer?

As-someone-newly-diagnosed-with-lung-cancer-how-do-you-decide-whether-to-fight-it-or-prepare-for-death?

Whats-the-best-gift-someone-gave-you-when-undergoing-chemotherapy?

As you can see from the above links, you can ask a lot of questions and the answer is often not going to be what you want or expect. Still, to quote the Rolling Stones, you just might find that you get what you need. There is a lot of junk science being touted as promising and even more outright hucksterism pushing its way into the mainstream, and many people are (rightfully) asking questions about these things. But one of the clear takeaways from the types of questions that are being asked is that awareness is still lacking.

When it comes to cancer, and specifically to lung cancer, the public has a long way to go before catching up with the medical realities of today. Funding is lopsided, with breast cancer earmarked for $704,000,000 in 2016 compared to $263,000,000 for lung cancer even though they have similar rates of diagnosis year to year with lung cancer expected to claim more than double to number of lives. Invasive breast cancer is expected to be diagnosed in approximately 231,840 women by the end of this year, with 40,290 deaths resulting from breast cancer. Lung cancer is expected to be responsible for the deaths of 71,660 women (nearly twice that of breast cancer) as well as 86,380 men. That means lung cancer will be associated with the deaths of 158,040 people — almost four times as many deaths as breast cancer. Yet there will be an estimated 221,200 new diagnoses of lung cancer this year; 10,640 fewer than invasive breast cancer in spite of lung cancer’s markedly higher mortality rate. None of which is to suggest that breast cancer is anything less than a heinous disease; the strides which have been made against breast cancer were only possible because of the huge increases in awareness and focus on early detection over twenty years ago. Since then, breast cancer has been a great success story showing how education and increased research funding can combine to thwart a disease previously deemed futile in the public eye.

Lung cancer, the most deadly and possibly most complex of all cancers, could be that next success story. But it won’t happen without more education and more funding. I do what I can with the former, but the latter is going to require more public pressure. The government, for better or worse, responds to public demand. To that end, I have started a petition. Please take a moment to sign it. Perhaps the message will reach Congress and encourage action from our representatives. After all, 1 out of 13 men and 1 out of 16 women who are currently living cancer-free are expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer at some point in their lifetime.

If you have read this far, please spread the message (click a share link below, sign the petition or create your own awareness campaign)! Thank you for fighting all cancers by helping to educate, inform and ensure that research is supported.