Why is there a need for increased awareness of lung cancer?
Lung cancer kills over 160,000 people in the United States each year—more people than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. It is responsible for over a quarter of all cancer-related deaths in the U.S. each year. Lung cancer is often perceived as a man’s disease, but in fact, it is also an extremely common and lethal cancer in women. In contrast to the mortality (death) rate in men, which began declining more than 20 years ago, women’s lung cancer mortality rates have been rising for decades, only just recently beginning to stabilize.1 Women often incorrectly perceive breast cancer as a bigger risk to their lives than lung cancer, even though lung cancer kills many more women. Without knowing their risks of lung cancer, women may not take the appropriate measures (e.g. smoking cessation, follow-up of symptoms) needed to diagnose the disease when the cancer is less advanced.
Lung cancer kills approximately 160,000 people in the United States each year—more people than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. It is responsible for over a quarter of all cancer-related deaths in the U.S. each year. Lung cancer is often perceived as a man’s disease, but in fact it is also an extremely common and lethal cancer in women. In contrast to the mortality (death) rate in men, which began declining more than 20 years ago, women’s lung cancer mortality rates have been rising for decades, only just recently beginning to stabilize.1 Women often incorrectly perceive breast cancer as a bigger risk to their lives than lung cancer, even though lung cancer kills many more women. Without knowing their risks of lung cancer, people may not take the appropriate measures (e.g. smoking cessation, follow-up of symptoms) needed to diagnose the disease when the cancer is less advanced.
