What You Need To Know About Lung Cancer
World Lung Cancer Day is August 1st, but lung cancer prevention is a year-long — and lifelong — project.[1] Whether you’ve never picked up a cigarette or you’ve been smoking for years, you can play a role in preventing lung cancer.
Start by understanding more about lung cancer.
Lung cancer’s impact: Lung cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US, behind heart disease. It’s also responsible for the most cancer deaths in both men and women in the US and worldwide. In the US, lung cancer kills more people every year than breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer combined.[2][3]
Tobacco's role in lung cancer: 75-90% of lung cancer deaths in the US are caused by smoking and tobacco is the second leading cause of death worldwide.[4]
Positive progress: As awareness of tobacco’s harmful effects has gone up, rates of smoking and lung cancer have gone down in the US.[4]
A hopeful future: The last decade has been promising for lung cancer detection and treatment. New screening programs have been developed that can save as many as 15,000 lives in the US every year.[2]
Even with less smoking, better screening methods, and fewer cases of lung cancer than a few decades ago, it’s as important as ever to protect yourself.
How to protect your lungs
The best ways to prevent lung cancer are to quit smoking, avoid air pollution, exercise and keep up with your medical checkups.[1] Your risk for lung cancer is deeply affected by your lifestyle and environment, which can make it harder to manage alone. Make changes that stick and help everyone protect their lungs by including your household and your community in your efforts to lower your risk for lung cancer.