Fifty years ago, the U.S. Surgeon General released a landmark report linking smoking to cancer and other diseases. This announcement came after a committee of experts had worked for 18 months, reviewing more than 7,000 published papers and engaging 150 consultants.

The importance of this report and its findings cannot be overstated, says Winship Cancer Institute's Dr. Fadlo Khuri, who in a new video talks about the impact of that report and where we are today in the fight against lung cancer.

"Today, we are certain that tobacco causes some of the most widespread and devastating diseases in the world," says Khuri, "including cancers of the lung, larynx (voice box), esophagus, mouth, throat and bladder, which together account for about 30% of the world’s cancer-related deaths. Tobacco is also a major cause of heart disease, emphysema and other diseases of the lungs and heart."

Khuri is Deputy Director of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. He also serves as Chairman of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology. Dr. Khuri is a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar and holds the Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research.