Luke Askew Dies At Age 80

Luke Askew died from lung cancer last month in his home in Oregon, according to news reports. The actor, who also acted in "Cool Hand Luke" and "Easy Rider," turned 80 three days before his death, OregonLive.com reported.
By Mark Hansen Hulett "Bucky" Askew, the ABA's consultant on legal education, is leaving the association at the end of August. Askew's departure was announced Monday (PDF) on the website of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

While there is little information on the circumstances of Askew's lung cancer -- what kind of cancer he had, how long he had it or what complications ultimately caused his death -- age is known to be a risk factor for many cancers.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer-related death for men when they are age 40 or older. For women, lung cancer outpaces breast cancer to be the leading cancer-related cause of death once they hit age 60.
Older people are more likely to develop lung cancer than young people, with 80 percent of lung cancers occurring in those ages 60 and older, according to MacMillan Cancer Support.