Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Why we need to pay attention to lung cancer

Gerard Silvestri, MD
Conditions
October 29, 2015
Share
Tweet
Share

CHEST_sig_horiz_PMS-TMIn the past year, the CHEST Foundation, the foundation of the American College of Chest Physicians, has created public service announcements and surveyed fans at sporting events such as the Daytona 500, Green Bay Packers football games, and the Indy 500. We’ve asked them questions about lung cancer, and the answers we’ve received aren’t too surprising.

When asked, “What is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women in the United States?” Many confidently answered with breast cancer, skin cancer, and colon cancer. The correct answer? Lung cancer.

This should come as no surprise to any of us. Public awareness of breast cancer is at an all-time high. Just watch an NFL game this month, or flip on the TV, and you’re bound to see pink ribbons and huge groups of survivors. This is great. Even skin cancer and colon cancer are getting time in the spotlight.

But, why and how can we get people to pay attention to lung cancer in the same way? We don’t have the answer, but we’re part of a growing movement to shed light on the truths about lung cancer and increase awareness.

The why:

  • According to the World Health Organization, lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 1.8 million new cases in 2012. It is responsible for nearly one in five cancer deaths.
  • American Cancer Society reports that lung cancer causes more deaths than colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers combined. An estimated 158,040 Americans are expected to die from lung cancer in 2015, accounting for approximately 27 percent of all cancer deaths.
  • The National Institutes of Health reports the rate of new lung cancer cases (incidence) over the past 37 years has dropped for men (28 percent decrease), while it has risen for women (98 percent increase).
  • The National Institutes of Health reports over half of people with lung cancer die within one year of being diagnosed
  • Smoking is widely recognized as a risk factor for lung cancer, but other lesser-known risks such as exposure to radon, asbestos, arsenic, beryllium, and uranium have all been linked to lung cancer. Diseases such as emphysema, COPD, and TB may increase risk. A personal or family history of lung cancer also increases risk.

The how:

On August 1, we launched our campaign, World Lung Cancer Day 2015: Honor, Unite, and Inspire, in recognition of World Lung Cancer Day, aimed to raise awareness about the global impact of lung cancer and encouraged a deeper understanding of lung cancer risk factors beyond smoking, as well as the importance of early treatment. We highlighted lung cancer risk factors often forgotten — personal cancer history, family history, radiation, radon, asbestos, arsenic, and comorbidities such as TB and COPD.  The campaign was launched collectively by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), which represents 70,000 global members.

World Lung Cancer Day was started by a lung cancer survivor and has been embraced by the lung cancer community (check them out on Twitter, #lcsm). The day celebrates survivors, remembers those who have passed, and spreads awareness to the general public about lung cancer.

We’re looking forward to continued involvement with World Lung Cancer Day (August 1 each year) and Lung Cancer Awareness Month (November of each year) but realize that we need to talk about lung cancer every day. While we know cigarette smoking is a risk factor, by acknowledging and sharing information about other risk factors associated with lung cancer, we can begin to help shift the perception of lung cancer as a disease that only affects smokers.

We encourage you to join the conversation around lung cancer. On Twitter, you’ll find a community of people joined together under the #lcsm hashtag. We’re thrilled to call them friends and look forward to continuing to march alongside them to increase lung cancer awareness, understanding, research, and education for clinicians and patients. We also encourage you to take a look at the resources created for World Lung Cancer Day, as well as the resources available from the CHEST Foundation.

Together, we can get people to pay attention to lung cancer.

Gerard Silvestri is president-elect, American College of Chest Physicians.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Ease the transition to hospice care in the family home

October 28, 2015 Kevin 2
…
Next

The discovery period regarding the existence of life 

October 29, 2015 Kevin 0
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: Oncology/Hematology

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Ease the transition to hospice care in the family home
Next Post >
The discovery period regarding the existence of life 

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Hormone replacement therapy is still linked to cancer

    Martha Rosenberg
  • When breast cancer screening guidelines conflict: Some patients face real consequences

    Leda Dederich
  • Cancer care costs everyone too much. What can we do about it?

    Andrew Hertler, MD
  • When it comes to pay cuts, it’s time to look beyond physicians

    J. DeWayne Tooson, MD
  • COVID is not a great equalizer

    Ritodhi Chatterjee
  • Fight gun violence with science

    Jamie Coleman, MD

More in Conditions

  • Finding healing in narrative medicine: When words replace silence

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Why coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy

    Maire Daugharty, MD
  • Why doctors stay silent about preventable harm

    Jenny Shields, PhD
  • Why gambling addiction is America’s next health crisis

    Safina Adatia, MD
  • How robotics are reshaping the future of vascular procedures

    David Fischel
  • How the shingles vaccine could help prevent dementia

    Marc Arginteanu, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • When your dream job becomes a nightmare [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How doctors took back control from hospital executives

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • When your dream job becomes a nightmare [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Finding healing in narrative medicine: When words replace silence

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Why coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • When the white coats become gatekeepers: How a quiet cartel strangles America’s health

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Why doctors stay silent about preventable harm

      Jenny Shields, PhD | Conditions
    • Why interoperability is key to achieving the quintuple aim in health care

      Steven Lane, MD | Tech

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 4 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • When your dream job becomes a nightmare [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How doctors took back control from hospital executives

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
    • My journey from misdiagnosis to living fully with APBD

      Jeff Cooper | Conditions
    • Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • When your dream job becomes a nightmare [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Finding healing in narrative medicine: When words replace silence

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Why coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy

      Maire Daugharty, MD | Conditions
    • When the white coats become gatekeepers: How a quiet cartel strangles America’s health

      Anonymous | Physician
    • Why doctors stay silent about preventable harm

      Jenny Shields, PhD | Conditions
    • Why interoperability is key to achieving the quintuple aim in health care

      Steven Lane, MD | Tech

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Why we need to pay attention to lung cancer
4 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...