WATERLOO - For their 40th anniversary last week, Larry and Cathie Gordon couldn't have received a nicer gift. Doctors at the Covenant Cancer Treatment Center declared Larry cancer-free after a yearlong battle with lung cancer.

"I'm tickled to death," Larry said.

The good news came a day before the Westgate couple's anniversary and one week before the annual Great American Smokeout, which takes place Thursday across the country.

The Great American Smokeout is a day for smokers to boot their addiction and boost their prospects for a long, healthy life.

"Ninety percent of all lung cancers occur in current or former smokers. Of the 10 percent of cases who weren't smokers, most report significant second-hand smoke exposure," said Dr. Cassandra Foens, a radiation oncologist with the Covenant Cancer Treatment Center. "Smoking is by far the number one cause of lung cancer in this country."

Larry started smoking at age 13 and smoked for more than 30 years. He quit in the late '80s after heart bypass surgery and had a cigarette here and there over the years following.

"I'm not proud of it," said Larry, now 63.

Doctors diagnosed Larry with stage 2 lung cancer last November.

"He was sure he was just going to die right away," Cathie said.

After a couple of days of feeling numb, Larry was ready for battle.

"I said, 'Let's fight this thing.' I knew I could overcome it. I had faith in the good Lord," he said.

He began chemotherapy and radiation treatments in February. Medical staff at the Covenant Cancer Treatment Center pulsed cancer-killing chemicals through a port in Larry's chest for six weeks. For the first couple of weeks, the treatments were daily. They eventually tapered to once and twice per week.

"It made my food taste different and blew my hair completely out," Larry said.

"I would have to vacuum his pillow every morning," Cathie said.

Larry's hair has since grown back into a full silver mane, and he's now cancer-free. He'll return to the Cancer Treatment Center every six months for a check-up.

The problem with lung cancer, Foens said, is it's tough to catch early. There is no good screening method, and, even if caught early, lung cancer behaves aggressively.

"Even the slowest lung cancer is faster than the fastest prostate cancer," Foens said. "In six to 10 weeks you can have a cannonball that's spread to the lymph nodes."

The easiest way to prevent lung cancer is to quit smoking. Or even better, never start.

Statistics show a small decline in the number of lung cancer patients locally and nationwide. In 2006, there were 107 lung cancer patients treated with radiation at the Covenant Cancer Treatment Center. That's down from 125 in 1996.

Foens attributes the decline to educating nonsmokers about the dangers of tobacco.

Also, "50 years ago, smoking was socially acceptable," she said. "Now, smoking is socially unacceptable."

Contact Meta Hemenway-Forbes at meta.hemenway-forbes@wcfcourier.com or (319) 291-1483.

{M3Kick the habit

{M3Cold turkey quitters are ultimately the most successful among those trying to quit smoking, said Dr. Cassandra Foens, a radiation oncologist with Covenant Cancer Treatment Center.

Although the first several days following the last cigarette are tough, smokers who give cigarettes the brush off will see immediate results.

"You'll start to get benefits within the first 10 minutes," Foens said. "The first day, your blood pressure goes down, you exchange air better, you circulate blood better. Within the first few months of quitting, you decrease your risk of lung infection, stroke and blood clots."

But like dieting, there's no magic pill. It takes effort and willpower to get results. Today, there are resources to help quitters get through the tough times and beat the nicotine addiction. Here are a few:

www.womenshealth.gov/quitsmoking

www.smoking-cessation.ort

www.smokefree.gov

www.americanheart.org

www.cancer.org

www.quitlineiowa.org

(800) QUIT NOW or (800) 784-8669