Each year, Aug. 1 marks World Lung Cancer Day, a date to show support for those who currently have or have had lung cancer and raise awareness about prevention and research.

This is an important topic because lung cancer affects a lot of people. Every two minutes, someone is told they have lung cancer. That is 643 people a day. In fact, 1 in 16 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime. It’s by far the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, accounting for about 1 out of every 5 cancer deaths. In fact, lung cancer claims more lives each year than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined.

But there’s good news – the number of new lung cancer diagnoses is declining steadily each year, as well as the mortality rate, likely related to advances in treatment and early detection. Most people with lung cancer do not have symptoms until the cancer is advanced, so screening is vital. Early screening can mean the difference between life and loss. When caught early, lung cancer’s five-year survival rate jumps from 27% to 64%!

Reducing Your Risk for Lung Cancer

There are a number of ways you can help lower your risk for developing lung cancer. It probably won’t come as a surprise that smoking is the leading risk factor for lung cancer. In fact, cigarette smoking is associated with more than 90% of lung cancers, and it’s also responsible for 80% of lung cancer deaths. The most important thing you can do to prevent lung cancer is to not start smoking, or if you smoke, to quit. However, smoking isn’t the only cause of lung cancer.

Even if you’ve never touched a cigarette, you can still get lung cancer. People who have never smoked account for about 20% of lung cancer deaths. After smoking, exposure to radon gas is the second leading risk factor of lung cancer.

Radon gas is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that does not create any taste or smell. It forms in rocks, soil and water and can get into homes and buildings, becoming trapped in the air inside. Over extended periods of time, radon can cause lung cancer. To learn more about radon gas or find out how to test your home for radon, go to epa.gov/radon.

Aside from radon, other possible lung cancer risk factors to consider include environmental exposure to substances such as asbestos, diesel exhaust, arsenic and some forms of silica and chromium.

Screening Saves Lives

If you do have lung cancer, screening and early detection can drastically improve your chances of survival. Studies have shown lung cancer screening reduces the risk of dying from lung cancer by detecting lung cancer at a very early stage, when it is more likely to be cured. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends getting an annual lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (CT) for people who meet screening criteria:

• Between 50 – 80 years of age.
  
  
• Have a 20-pack-year smoking history – a pack-year is used to describe how many cigarettes you have smoked in your lifetime, with a pack equal to 20 cigarettes. If you have smoked a pack a day for the last 20 years, or two packs a day for the last 10 years, you have 20 pack-years.
  
  
• Currently smoke or have quit in the past 15 years.

If you’re concerned about your risk factors for lung cancer, discuss lung cancer screening with your physician. It may be time for you to schedule a low-dose CT scan. Although most insurances cover preventative healthcare, we recommend that you check with your insurance for specific coverage guidelines.

Reviewed by: Suzanne LaBuda, BSN, RN, OCN, Oncology Cancer Navigator, Aultman Cancer Center