Why Lung Cancer? In the time it will take you to read this article, an estimated 34 people worldwide will die from lung cancer.1 In the United States alone, lung cancer results in 350 deaths per day. It’s expected to account for 21% of total cancer deaths in 2023, claiming the lives of 127,070 Americans.2 Figures 1 & 2: Adapted from American Cancer Society, Utah Cancer Statistics and Estimates 2023 Contrary to popular belief, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and the world. It is estimated that about 6% of people will develop lung cancer during their lifetime in the United States. That includes about one in every 15 men and one in every 17 women.2 Lung cancer causes more deaths than breast, prostate, and colon cancer combined. Every year, there are about 50,000 more new cases of breast cancer than lung cancer, but lung cancer causes 90,000 more deaths than breast cancer. Despite significantly fewer cases, lung cancer kills three times as many women as breast cancer and three times as many men as prostate cancer.3 In Utah, lung cancer is the fifth most prevalent cancer but is the most deadly4 (see Figure 1). What Makes Lung Cancer So Fatal? The most common symptoms of lung cancer are chronic cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Additional symptoms may include hoarseness, loss of appetite, fatigue, persistent lower respiratory infections, and a new onset of wheezing. However, these symptoms are usually indicative of the cancer’s progression into an advanced stage, where it is more difficult to treat and the prognosis is poor.5 If cancer can be detected before the patient becomes symptomatic, the five-year survival rate for patients with The American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative By Anne Clark, Education Chair, Utah Chapter of ALCSI continued on page 36 | 34
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