World Lung Cancer Day 2023
July 31, 2023
GLENVIEW, IL - In support of World Lung Cancer Day on August 1, the
Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the
American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) is a founding member,
stresses the importance of awareness and understanding of lung cancer
risk factors, as well as the importance of early detection through
screening and treatment.
According to the World Health Organization, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide
for both men and women. In 2020, there were 2.21 million new lung cancer
cases globally and 1.80 million deaths.
While smoking is the single greatest risk factor for lung cancer,
accounting for
85% of all cases, other lesser-known risk factors include the environmental exposures
and genetics. Environmental exposure to radon, asbestos, arsenic,
beryllium and uranium has been linked to lung cancer. The risk of lung
cancer also increases with a history of cancer in another part of the
body, age, family history, radiation to the chest area and lung diseases
like COPD.
“World Lung Cancer Day offers an opportunity to raise awareness for the
staggering global impact of this cancer,” says Doreen Addrizzo-Harris,
MD, FCCP, President of CHEST. “With one in four cancer deaths attributed
to lung cancer, it is of critical importance to promote early detection
through symptom awareness and lung cancer screening. Through early
detection, treatment can begin, the cancer is less likely to spread and
we can begin to reduce the number of lung cancer deaths worldwide.”
If you currently smoke or have a history of smoking and are 50 years or
older, you may be a candidate for a screening low-dose CT scan that can
potentially detect lung cancer in its earliest stages.
Lung cancer symptoms include change in mucus, chest or back pain,
coughing up blood and difficulty swallowing. Tests that may be used
to diagnose lung cancer include chest radiographs, CT and PET scans,
bronchoscopy and needle biopsies.
About the American College of Chest Physicians
The American College of Chest Physicians® (CHEST) is the global
leader in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases.
Its mission is to champion advanced clinical practice, education,
communication and research in chest medicine. It serves as an
essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its
19,000+ members from around the world who provide patient care in
pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For information about
the American College of Chest Physicians, and its flagship
journal CHEST®,
visit chestnet.org.
About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies
(FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading
international respiratory societies working together to improve lung
health globally. The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to
improve lung health through the combined work of its more than
70,000 members globally.
FIRS comprises the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST),
American Thoracic Society (ATS), the Asian Pacific Society of
Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latinoamericana de Tórax (ALAT), European
Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and
Lung Disease (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), the
Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and the Global Initiative for
Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).