Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 1.8 million new cases in 2012, and is responsible for nearly one in five cancer deaths according to the World Health Organization. Lung cancer claims more lives yearly than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 224,390 new cases of lung cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2016, accounting for about 14% of all cancer diagnoses in the United States alone.
World Lung Cancer Day 2016: Honor, Unite, Inspire highlights the many risk factors to be aware of in order to detect lung cancer at the earliest stage possible. While most understand that smoking is the single greatest risk factor for lung cancer, other lesser known risk factors include environment and genetics. Environmental exposure to radon, asbestos, arsenic, beryllium and uranium have all been linked to lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer also increases with a history of cancer in another part of the body, age, family history, radiation to the chest area and lung diseases like COPD.
The initiative also aims to shed light on key symptoms and screening options. Symptoms include change in mucus, chest or back pain, coughing up blood and difficulty swallowing. Tests that may be used to diagnose lung cancer include chest X-rays, CT and PET scans, bronchoscopy and needle biopsies. If you are a current or former smoker and over age 55, you may be a candidate for a low- dose CT scan screening that can offer early detection of lung cancer, potentially at its earliest stages.
“Treatment options for lung cancer have significantly advanced over the past few years and survival rates are increasing. We’re hopeful the World Lung Cancer Day efforts will help to continue to raise awareness of risks and increase early detection for the best possible outcomes,” said Dr. Gerard Silvestri, President-Elect of the American College of Chest Physicians.
More than 70,000 global FIRS members have united in support of World Lung Cancer Day, including member organizations: CHEST, Asociación Latinoamericana del Thorax (ALAT), the American Thoracic Society, the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, the European Respiratory Society, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and the Pan African Thoracic Society.
Patients, families and caregivers can download free educational resources and learn more about lung cancer, risk factors, screenings and treatment options by visiting http://www.chestnet.org/WLCD.
About CHEST
CHEST is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication and research. CHEST serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For more information, visit chestnet.org.
About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies
FIRS is an organization consisting of the world’s leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally: American Thoracic Society, CHEST, Asociación Latinoamericana De Tórax, Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, European Respiratory Society, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases and the Pan African Thoracic Society. The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000 members globally.
Contact: Kristi Bruno, kbruno@chestnet.org
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