Humphrey Bogart's son joins esophageal cancer campaign

• Stephen Bogart, 63, is taping a new PSA
• Taping is first step in new campaign
• Esophageal cancer is one of the fastest-increasing cancer diagnoses

Stephen Bogart, 63, son of film legends Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, spent Wednesday in Baltimore taping a movie trailer and a public service announcement.

Working with the Esophageal Cancer Action Network (ECAN), Bogart's taping is the first step toward creation of a national campaign to encourage screening. Humphrey Bogart died from esophageal cancer in 1957. Stephen was 8 years old at the time.

The classic film star's estate has partnered with Baltimore-based ECAN to raise awareness about the link between heartburn and cancer. Says Bogart in the announcement of the PSA, "ECAN has begun an impressive effort to put this little-known disease on the radar screen of at-risk people and their doctors. We hope our partnership and this campaign will allow us to reach a wide audience which has not yet heard the message that heartburn can cause cancer."

According to ECAN, esophageal cancer is one of the fastest-increasing cancer diagnoses in the USA —- up more than 400% in the past 20 years. When discovered early, or in the precancerous stage known as Barrett's Esophagus, treatment can be highly effective, says ECAN.