The Group Room is produced by Vital Options International and airs on Sundays from 4-6pm ET/1-3pm PT on select radio stations throughout the United States, on XM Satellite Radio's Ask! 165 Channel, and Internet simulcast at www.vitaloptions.org, where past shows are also archived.

This special lung cancer broadcast is sponsored by The CHEST Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the ACCP and will address the latest detection and treatment advances in lung cancer and will include an update on the ACCP Lung Cancer Guidelines released in 2003. The program will feature:

• Darcy D. Marciniuk, MD, FCCP, Co-Chair of the CHEST 2005 Program Committee, Respiratory Medicine & TB Control Division, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, SK, Canada;
  
• James R. Jett, MD, FCCP, Thoracic Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MD;
  
• Mark A. Socinski, MD, FCCP, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Medicine; and
  
• John A. Howington, MD, FCCP, Division of Thoracic Surgery, University of Cincinnati;

"Lung cancer is a complex disease, biologically as well as emotionally. Advances are being made and The CHEST Foundation is enormously committed to raising patient awareness and working on behalf of patient advocacy. Vital Options International values this annual partnership with The Chest Foundation and the American College of Chest Physicians in support of the more than 170,000 people in the US diagnosed with lung cancer each year," said Selma R. Schimmel, Founder and CEO of Vital Options International.

"The CHEST Foundation is pleased to sponsor this special lung cancer broadcast of The Group Room. An integrated discussion about this serious disease will help to bring the latest research findings in lung cancer directly to patients throughout the world and allow patients and others to hear first hand from prominent lung cancer experts," said Dr. Marciniuk.

CHEST 2005 is the 71st annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians, held October 29-November 3 in Montreal. ACCP represents 16,000 members who provide clinical respiratory, critical care, sleep, and cardiothoracic patient care in the United States and throughout the world. The ACCP's mission is to promote the prevention and treatment of diseases of the chest through leadership, education, research, and communication. For more information about the ACCP, please visit the ACCP Web site at www.chestnet.org.

Founded in 1996, The CHEST Foundation focuses on education and disease prevention in four key areas: tobacco cessation and prevention, critical care, end-of-life issues, and awards for research and community service. By giving life to projects in local communities and around the world, with special emphasis directed to those who can least afford it, The Foundation enables the ACCP to realize its vision of being the leading resource for the improvement in cardiopulmonary health and critical care worldwide. For more information about The CHEST Foundation, please visit www.chestfoundation.org.

Founded in 1983, Vital Options was the first national organization to singularly focus on young adults with cancer. In 1993, Vital Options expanded its work into cancer communications, serving patients of all ages. Today, Vital Options is an international not-for-profit cancer communications, advocacy and support organization, headquartered in Southern California.