World Lung Cancer Day

World's Respiratory Societies Support Community Action and Education for Lung Cancer Awareness Day

Tokyo, 1 August 2021

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In support of World Lung Cancer Day on 1 August, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the APSR is a founding member, stresses the importance of community action and early screening to prevent and treat lung cancer.

Responsible for 25% of all cancer deaths, lung cancer remains a topic for concern. According to the World Health Organization, each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and liver cancers combined. Worldwide, in 2020, there were 2.21 million new cases of lung cancer and 1.80 million deaths. Despite these alarming statistics, the rate of lung cancer is dropping because of tobacco cessation efforts.

“World Lung Cancer Day is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness for people affected by lung cancer and also effective ways for its prevention, the most important being tobacco cessation,” says the APSR. “Eliminating tobacco use is the number one way to reduce lung cancer cases. Community can play an important role through education around preventable risk factors for lung cancer and the importance of early detection to most effectively treat lung cancer.”

To reduce the prevalence of lung cancer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends community action and education including:

Public education around lung cancer risk factors
Reducing minors’ access to tobacco products and e-cigarettes
Helping people quit using tobacco products
Helping people avoid second-hand smoke
Reducing exposure to radon
Encouraging people to be screened for lung cancer as recommended

In addition to tobacco cessation, access to screening and early detection is vital for reducing lung cancer deaths through early detection and treatment. If lung cancer is found at an early stage, when it is small and before it has spread, it is more likely to be successfully treated.

Lung cancer screening with a low-dose tomography (also known as low-dose CT or LDCT) scan is recommended for at-risk people to detect the earliest stages of lung cancer before symptoms occur. The American Cancer Society recommends that all current or former smokers and those over the age of 55 consider seeking a low-dose CT scan screening to potentially detect lung cancer in its earliest stages.

When they present, lung cancer symptoms include change in mucus, chest or back pain, coughing up blood and difficulty swallowing. Timely and equitable access to health care for assessment and treatment is vital.

Lung Cancer 2021 Fact Sheet

Lung cancer continues to be one of the most common cancers worldwide, claiming more lives yearly than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. World Lung Cancer Day is a great opportunity for us all to raise awareness about lung cancer, highlighting the key risk factors as well as screening and treatment options.

Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, making up almost 25% of all cancer deaths. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.
Worldwide in 2020, there were 2.21 million new cases of lung cancer and 1.80 million deaths from lung cancer.
Lung cancer has the lowest 5-year survival rate at only 18% compared to breast at 90%, prostate at 99%, and colorectal at 65%.
The 5-year survival rate for lung cancer drops dramatically from a stage 1 diagnosis (68-92% survival) to a stage 4 diagnosis (0-10% survival).
Only 16% of the eligible population will be diagnosed at an early stage when lung cancer is when the disease is most likely to be cured.
Lung cancer mainly occurs in older people. Most people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older; a very small number of people diagnosed are younger than 45. The average age of people when diagnosed is about 70.
Approximately 6.1 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with lung and bronchus cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2016–2018 data.
Second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure causes an estimated 3% of all lung cancer deaths, which is the equivalent of 3,590 deaths in 2021.
People who successfully quit smoking can add as much as a decade of life expectancy and reduce their risk of lung cancer by half after quitting for 10-15 years compared to people who continue to smoke.
Other than tobacco use, lung cancer risk factors include passive exposure to tobacco smoke, biomass fuel, diesel exhaust, radon, asbestos, and other environmental and workplace carcinogens.

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About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS)