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Our Commitment to Improving Failing Grades
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Number of Deaths |
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F |
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Unacceptable. Lung Cancer remains the #1 cause of cancer death and will claim another 162,000 lives in 2008: three times as many men as prostate cancer; nearly twice as many women as breast cancer. More people will die from lung cancer than breast, prostate, colon, leukemia, ovarian and cervical cancer— combined. We cannot keep ignoring this public health epidemic. |
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Five-Year-Survival-Rate |
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F |
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No progress. The overall five-year survival rate remains 15% for all those diagnosed with lung cancer—still far behind the five-year survival rates for those diagnosed with breast cancer (89%), prostate cancer (99%), and colon cancer (65%). We need a greater sense of urgency. |
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Number of Late-Stage Diagnoses |
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F |
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No progress. Only 16% of lung cancer is diagnosed at an early curable stage. By contrast, 61% of breast cancers, 91% of prostate cancers, 39% of colon cancers are now diagnosed at early stage—not surprising since screening for these cancers is strongly encouraged—and has significantly contributed to improved survival. Late stage is lethal. We must shift intervention to earlier stages. |
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Tobacco Stigma |
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F |
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Too much blame. The stigma associated with a lung cancer diagnosis remains at an all time high. Lung cancer patients continue to be blamed regardless of whether they smoked or not. Ignoring the addictive properties of tobacco has contributed to the lack of compassion and support for patients among the general public and has dampened research funding. No one deserves lung cancer—this stigma must be reversed. |
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Advancements in
Treatment and
Diagnostic Options |
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D+ |
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Some progress. While stepped-up research is underway in targeted drug therapies, genetic profiling, biomarkers in blood and sputum, and even vaccines—breakthroughs remain years away. Not until the public health establishment fully commits to making lung cancer a national priority will sufficient research and public-private partnerships to support these opportunities be advanced. |
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Clinical Trials |
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D |
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Need greater awareness and patient participation. Encouraging trends toward more personalized clinical trials and vaccines to prevent lung cancer recurrence are now diversifying the research pipeline. But not enough patients know that clinical trials are a treatment option and that their participation can expedite advancements in discoveries. Efforts to elevate overall awareness, encourage greater discussion between doctors and patients and erase misperceptions must be improved. |
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Overall Federal Commitment |
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C- |
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Showing Improvement. LCA’s top priority was realized this year when a new $20 million research funding pipeline within the Department of Defense was signed into law. In addition, the first-ever authorizing bill to fund a comprehensive, multi-agency plan to reduce lung cancer’s mortality by 2015 was introduced in the United States Senate. Congress is moving closer to providing the Food and Drug Administration with the authority to regulate tobacco products. But an overall plan and commitment to address lung cancer at levels commensurate to its public health impact is still lacking. |
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