Hard Facts About Lung Cancer

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and the main message is that lung cancer is a horrible, usually deadly disease that more often than not is caused by smoking. The facts around this particularly insidious cancer just scream out the proper course of action: don’t smoke or quit smoking, and if you are a current or former smoker, get screened!

The ugly truths

Here are six scary truths about lung cancer, and one positive trend to give some hope in the fight against it.

• Per the most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States in 2021, 209,500 new lung cancers were reported and in 2022, 131,888 people died from lung cancer.

• Excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers, lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S., behind only breast cancer and prostate cancer -- but it is the leading cause of cancer deaths. It also claims more lives each year than breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancer combined.

• The chance of developing lung cancer in a lifetime is about 1 in 16 for men and 1 in 17 for women.

• Some hope in the fight – the number of new lung cancer diagnoses has been declining since 2006, with a 2.6% annual decrease for men and a 1.1% annual decrease for women.

• The rate of new lung cancer cases varies by state, with Kentucky having the highest rate and Utah having the lowest. States with the highest lung cancer rates also have high percentages of adult smokers.

• Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, cigarette smoking is linked to about 80% to 90% of lung cancer deaths. People who smoke cigarettes are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke.

• Early diagnosis and treatment can lead to a cure rate of 80–90% for stage I lung cancer. But, most people with lung cancer don't have symptoms until the cancer is advanced. That's why the five-year survival rate for lung cancer is 28%.

Conclusion

If you want to avoid lung cancer, don’t smoke. If you want to survive lung cancer, get screened so you can detect it early.

If you are a smoker or former smoker age 50 to 77, a low-dose CT scan at SageWest Health Care could save your life. Low-dose CT scans provide better imaging of your lungs than traditional x-rays with less exposure to radiation. A healthcare provider’s order is required to schedule this screening, so ask your provider if a low-dose CT scan is right for you.

In the interim, consider visiting the health risk assessment page on our website, where you can answer a few questions and get a quick snapshot of your lung health.