Son Of Hollywood Royalty Comes To Charm City

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The son of two Hollywood legends is headed to Charm City this week to lend his support to a cancer-fighting organization. Stephen Bogart is the son of award-winning actor Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall; he knows all too well the effects of esophageal cancer, having lost his own father to it.

Christie Ileto has more.

It's one of the fastest-growing cancer diagnoses in the country, but when esophageal cancer survivor John Miller learned he had the disease, he was shocked.

"Just overwhelming," he said.

In fact, like many people, Miller "never heard of it."

And that lack of awareness is something the Esophageal Cancer Action Network--based right here in Baltimore--is hoping to change, starting with some help from Hollywood.

Stephen Bogart is now lending his support in the fight against the disease that killed his father, legendary actor Humphrey Bogart. The younger Bogart is set to shoot a public service announcement in Charm City this week. The PSA will talk about treatment, symptoms and the organization's message that heartburn can cause cancer.

"ECAN has begun an impressive effort to put this little-known disease on the radar screen of at-risk people and their doctors," Bogart said in a news release announcing his visit.

Minty Mintz Mordecai founded the 3-year-old cancer-fighting nonprofit, following the death of her husband, who also died from the disease. She says she reached out to the Bogart estate a couple of years ago about the new partnership.

"We really believe we're going to be able to reach a lot more people with our message and using the Bogart name," she said.

It's a life-saving message the nonprofit hopes others will take heed of before it's simply too late.

The campaign will also combine Humphrey Bogart's work and life story to encourage others to get preventative screenings.