Dr. Albert Rizzo
By Albert Rizzo
Albert Rizzo is the chief medical officer for the American Lung Association.
As a resident of Delaware, a practicing pulmonologist and the chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, I see the impacts of lung cancer every day. Lung cancer is the nation’s leading cause of cancer deaths, and every 2 minutes and 12 seconds, someone in the U.S. is told that they have lung cancer. Lung cancer kills 369 people every day; that’s approximately 15 deaths each hour or one death about every four minutes.
More individuals are surviving lung cancer than ever before. This trend is promising, yet the disease remains the leading cause of cancer deaths. The American Lung Association’s “State of Lung Cancer” report identifies opportunities for Delaware leaders to save lives in our communities, including the lives of the estimated 910 people in our state who will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year.
Nationally, the “State of Lung Cancer” report shows continued progress for lung cancer survival. The report found that the lung cancer five-year survival rate increased 22% to 26.6% from 2015-19. In addition, the national survival rate has increased at a faster pace among communities of color, so that it is no longer significantly lower compared to White individuals’.
One of the reasons lung cancer is so deadly is because it’s often caught too late. This year’s report continues to focus on the importance of screening, which is critical to reduce the burden of lung cancer. Lung cancer screening can help detect the disease early, when it’s more likely to be curable. Screening with annual low-dose CT scans can reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to 20%; however, only 6.3% of eligible Delaware residents were screened in 2022. While this is higher than the national average of 4.5%, it is still just a fraction of those who qualify getting screened, indicating there is a need for education and awareness. The American Lung Association is continuing to push for greater awareness of this test to save more lives here in Delaware and encourage former and current smokers to learn about screening and take the screening eligibility quiz at savedbythescan.org.
The stage at which someone is diagnosed with lung cancer varies significantly by state. Nationally, only 26.6% of cases are caught early, when the five-year survival rate is much higher. In Delaware, the survival rate is 28.3%, which marks a 31% improvement over the past five years, and early diagnosis is among the best in the nation at 28.4% (ranking 10th out of 47 states measured). Cases that are diagnosed at an earlier stage, before the tumor has spread, are also more likely to be eligible for surgery. Delaware’s surgery rates as first course of treatment is 21.3%, marking a 32% improvement over the last five years. The good news is that more Americans than ever are surviving lung cancer, but there remains much more work to be done.
Delaware’s new-case incidence rate has improved 32% over the past five years, at 57.4 out of 100,000 people, compared to 54.6 nationally. While smoking is the No. 1 risk factor and responsible for about 90% of lung cancer cases, an estimated two-thirds of lung cancer diagnoses are in never and former smokers. Anyone can get lung cancer. Current lung cancer incidence rates may result from elevated smoking rates from decades ago; exposure to secondhand smoke; increased exposure to other causes of lung cancer, such as radon and air pollution; or other factors, including family history.
More treatment options are available for lung cancer than ever before, yet not everyone is receiving treatment following diagnosis. In Delaware, 19.6% of those diagnosed did not receive any form of treatment. While not everyone may choose to pursue treatment after diagnosis, no one who wants treatment should be forced to go untreated due to cost or lack of accessibility.
Thankfully, the lung cancer survival rate has improved in the state because of increased awareness, improved access to health care and cutting-edge research into new treatments for the disease. However, lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths here in Delaware and across the nation. It’s clear that we need to do more to save lives and make sure no one is left behind in efforts to improve lung cancer survival.
Our state officials can help reduce the burden of lung cancer by protecting and expanding quality and affordable health care coverage; improving access to lung cancer screening and treatment; and not supporting any efforts that would undermine Delaware’s strong commitment to reducing tobacco use. The American Lung Association encourages everyone to join the effort to end lung cancer. Learn more about the report and contact your member of Congress to ask her to co-sponsor House Resolution 4286, the Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act, at lung.org/solc.
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