The well-known comedian, Ricky Gervais, has joined the team of celebrities lending support to a lung cancer awareness campaign.

Mr. Gervais said that he had been personally affected by the disease; his mother Eva died of the disease in 2001. In the UK alone, the disease kills over 35,000 people per year.

Mr. Gervais' image will be seen on buses and the London Underground during the month of November, which has been dubbed Lung Cancer Awareness Month. This campaign is part of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation initiative.

Mr. Gervais stressed the fact that by the time most people are diagnosed the cancer us too far along to be treated; 7 in 10 people will died within a year of being diagnosed.

Mr. Gervais will join Hollyoaks star Emmett Scanlan, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, football players Bruce Grobbelaar and Graeme Sharp, and British Olymic rowers Katherine Grainger and Pete Reed. These celebrities will be featured on public transport holding x-rays of a healthy pair of lungs.

"My mother's death was very sudden, and you can't help but wonder if things would have been different had it been spotted earlier", said Mr. Gervais. The comedian strongly encourages people to monitor their health. "Even though it's winter and even if you're a smoker, if you've had a bad cough for two to three weeks and you can't get rid of it, make an appointment with your GP today."