A two-year study will look for the reason the treatment of lung cancer is lagging in southern Illinois.
Previous research has shown that lung cancer death rates and cases of lung cancer are higher in southern Illinois than in other parts of the state. The Illinois division of the American Cancer Society is funding the project. Dr. David Steward is the principal investigator. He's chair of the internal medicine department at Southern Illinois University. Collaborating on the project are the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, Southern Illinois Healthcare Cancer Institute in Carbondale and the Illinois State Cancer Registry.
The 16 southernmost counties in Illinois will be included. Counties in the study are Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, White and Williamson.