APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Next month is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and one Appleton man is using his personal experience to shed light on the disease.

When Joe Toonen began experiencing pain and numbness in his arm, his first thought wasn’t cancer—it was his heart. After undergoing tests, he received a surprising diagnosis: stage three lung cancer.

“You hear the news and you don't know how to react… I didn't smoke, I didn't have any other symptoms, my body was telling me something and I decided to get it checked out,” Toonen said.

Medical experts say lung cancer can easily be overlooked, particularly in patients who have never smoked.

“For people who are smoking sometimes, the symptoms could be a cough or something like that, don't get diagnosed because they don't think it's going to b

See Full Page