Congressional Families: Voices for Cancer Prevention – Charlie Capito, spouse of Senator Shelley Moore Capito

Hello, I’m Charlie Capito, spouse of Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. I’m also a member of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program, a non-partisan initiative that unites congressional spouses from the House and the Senate in our efforts to raise awareness nationwide about cancer prevention and early detection.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and this is a concern close to my heart. In my home state of West Virginia, the need is great for increased lung cancer awareness and screening. We rank second in the United States in mortality for lung cancer. And this disease remains the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States. Lung cancer can be detected early, but many people who are at high risk for the disease do not get screened. So today I am here to spotlight the importance of lung cancer screening to prevent lung cancer deaths. If you are a current or former smoker between the ages of 50 and 80, you are considered at high risk, and should talk to your doctor about getting screened. An annual lung cancer screening with a low dose CT scan may be recommended. The key to saving lives is catching lung cancer early when treatment options are more effective. Visit www.preventcancer.org to learn more about lung cancer prevention and early detection.