Here are some tweet-sized facts and info about lung cancer to share during Lung Cancer Awareness Month (#LCAM).
REASONS WHY CURING LUNG CANCER MATTERS
Myth: Don’t smoke? Can’t get lung cancer. Fact: Lung cancer in never smokers is 6th leading cause of US cancer deaths. #LCSM #LCAM [i]
Lung cancer kills almost 2x as many women as breast cancer & 3x as many men as prostate cancer. #LCSM #LCAM [ii]
160,000 Americans will die of lung cancer this year. 80% will be never smokers or nonsmokers. #LCSM #LCAM [iii],[iv]
The 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is 17%, about the same as it’s been for 40 years. #LCSM #LCAM [v]
World Health Org: Air pollution is responsible for 223K lung cancers deaths/yr worldwide – it’s worse than 2nd-hand smoke. #LCSM #LCAM [vi]
Lung cancer takes more lives than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined – it accounts for 27% of all cancer deaths. #LCSM #LCAM [vii]
81% of prostate cancer and 60% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed before they spread. Lung cancer? Only 15%. #LCSM #LCAM [viii]
US research $ per cancer death is far greater for colorectal (4x), prostate (8.5x) & breast (14x) cancers than lung cancer. #LCSM #LCAM [ix],[x],[xi],[xii]
Lung cancer is the second leading cause of all deaths in the US. #LCSM #LCAM [xiii]
Lung cancer is linked to radon gas in homes (20,000 deaths/yr), workplace exposure, genetics, & cancer treatment. #LCSM #LCAM [xiv],[xv],[xvi],[xvii]
PERSONAL STORIES OF LUNG CANCER
Faces of #Lungcancer: NFL player Chris Draft remembers wife and LC patient Lakeasha http://www.catchitintime.org/story/chris-draft #LCSM #LCAM
Faces of #Lungcancer: Emily Bennett Taylor, college athlete, diagnosed with LC at 28 http://embenkickscancer.wordpress.com/ #LCSM #LCAM
Faces of #Lungcancer: 7 Canadians Share Their Stories http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11/05/lung-cancer-awareness-_n_4213854.html?utm_hp_ref=tw #LCSM #LCAM
Faces of #Lungcancer: Janet Freeman-Daily “Why I’m in a Clinical Trial.” http://grayconnections.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/why-im-in-a-clinical-trial/ #LCSM #LCAM
Faces of #LungCancer: Voices of Value: Patient’s Words https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEfsYk1lVrA #LCSM #LCAM
Faces of #Lungcancer: The Bonnie J. Addario Story http://www.lungcancerfoundation.org/2012/06/the-right-woman-for-the-job-the-bonnie-j-addario-story/ #LCSM #LCAM
HOPE FOR LUNG CANCER PATIENTS: RESEARCH AND TREATMENTS
Crizotinib (Xalkori) shows “potent antitumor activity” against lung cancers with altered ROS1 genes http://1.usa.gov/1z0O580 #LCSM #LCAM
National Lung Screening Trial showed low-dose helical CT scans can lower mortality from #lungcancer. #LCSM #LCAM [xviii]
Newly-diagnosed #lungcancer patients should consider getting a second opinion about diagnosis and treatment. #LCSM #LCAM [xix]
Lobectomy performed by video assisted thoracoscopic surgery results in shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery. #LCSM #LCAM [xx],[xxi]
Patients whose #lungcancer tumors had driving mutations and who received targeted therapy usually live longer. #LCSM #LCAM [xxii]
Patients with #lungcancer who participate in #cancer clinical trials live longer. #LCSM #LCAM [xxiii]
Immune-based therapy and clinical trials show potential for #lungcancer treatment. #LCSM #LCAM [xxiv],[xxv]
Palliative care improves survival and quality of life for advanced #lungcancer patients. #LCSM #LCAM [xxvi]
HOW TO HELP LUNG CANCER PATIENTS
Is #LungCancer screening right for me? http://www.shouldiscreen.com #LCSM #LCAM
Support #lungcancer patients as a volunteer at your local cancer center. #LCSM #LCAM
HELP a #lungcancer patient during/after treatment with transportation, childcare, housework, meals, or fundraising. #LCSM #LCAM
Support #lungcancer charities that fund research or assist LC patients. http://lungcan.org/our-members/ #LCSM #LCAM
Support an LC advocacy org or ask your government reps to fully fund #lungcancer research. http://lungcan.org/advocacy/ #LCSM #LCAM
Join an #LCSM chat on Twitter to discuss #lungcancer topics. https://lcsmchat.wordpress.com/lcsm-chat/ #LCSM #LCAM
TWEETS WITH LINKS TO RESOURCES FOR PATIENTS
Check out the #lungcancer resources available from @TheNCI http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/lung #LCSM #LCAM
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men & women. What You Need to Know: http://1.usa.gov/1nOexxF #LCSM #LCAM
OTHER LISTS OF FACTS AND TWEETS
American Lung Association: Lung Cancer Facts Sheet
http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html
REFERENCES FOR FACTS
[i] Johns Hopkins Medicine. Guide on Lung Cancer in Never-Smokers – Different Disease Different Treatments (09/15/2009). Retrieved Oct 30, 2013, from http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/Guide_on_Lung_Cancer_in_NeverSmokers__Different_Disease_Different_Treatments.
[ii] U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2010 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute; 2013. Retrieved from http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/uscs/toptencancers.aspx. To access data, select year 2010, “death rates” tab and view table for all ethnic groups Per CDC, 2010 cancer deaths were caused 37.9% by lung cancer and 21.9% by breast cancer in women, 60.1% by lung cancer and 21.8% by prostate cancer in men.
[iii] SEER Cancer Statistics Factsheets: Lung and Bronchus Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/lungb.html In the United States in 2013, it is estimated there will be about 159,480 deaths from lung cancer. Approximately 6.9 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with lung and bronchus cancer at some point during their lifetime.
[iv] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR Weekly 56(44);1157-1161. (9-Nov-2007). Retrieved Oct 30, 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5644a2.htm. Lung cancer cases are 17.9% never smokers, 61.2% former smokers, 20.9% smokers (see Table 2, lung neoplasms).
[v] SEER Cancer Statistics Factsheets: Lung and Bronchus Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/lungb.html Current 5-year survival rate of adults with lung and bronchus cancers is 16%. In 1975, the 5-year survival rate for lung cancer in adults was 11.4%.
[vi] International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. Press Release No 221 – IARC: Outdoor air pollution a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths. (17-Oct-2013). Accessed 20-Oct-2013 from http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/pr221_E.pdf
[vii] American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2013. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2013. Accessed 20-Oct-2013 from http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-037115.pdf
[viii] American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2013. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2013. Accessed 20-Oct-2013 from http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-037115.pdf
[ix] National Lung Cancer Partnership. What You Can Do (graphic). (Mar-2013). Accessed from http://www.nationallungcancerpartnership.org/images/uploads/files/NLCP_FS_1Facts_NextDayFlyer_2013_BACK.pdf.
[x] American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2013. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2013. Accessed 20-Oct-2013 from http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-037115.pdf.
[xi] U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Department of Defense. 2012 Congressionally Funded Medical Research Programs. (30-Sep-2012). Accessed from http://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/annreports/2012annrep/2012annreport.pdf.
[xii] NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools. Estimates of Funding for Various Research, Condition, and Disease Categories (RCDC). (10-Apr-2013). Accessed from http://report.nih.gov/categorical_spending.aspx.
[xiii] National Lung Cancer Partnership. What You Can Do (graphic). (Mar-2013). Accessed from http://www.nationallungcancerpartnership.org/images/uploads/files/NLCP_FS_1Facts_NextDayFlyer_2013_BACK.pdf
[xiv] US Environmental Protection Agency. Radon. (26-Aug-2013). Accessed from http://www.epa.gov/radon/.
[xv] World Health Organization’s Environmental and Occupational Cancers Fact Sheet http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs350/en/
[xvi] Coté ML et. al. Eur J Cancer. (Sep-2012). Increased risk of lung cancer in individuals with a family history of the disease: a pooled analysis from the International Lung Cancer Consortium. Accessed from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=22436981
[xvii] American Cancer Society. Second Cancers Caused by Cancer Treatment. (30-Jan-2012). http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/002043-pdf.pdf
[xviii] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). National Lung Screening Trial (NLST). Retrieved 17-Nov-2013 from http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/noteworthy-trials/nlst.
[xix] Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. (n.d.). For Newly Diagnosed: Seeking a Second Opinion. Retrieved 17-Nov-2013 from http://www.seattlecca.org/newly-diagnosed-second-opinion.cfm.
[xx] Swanson, SJ et al. (2012 Apr). Video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy is less costly and morbid than open lobectomy: a retrospective multi-institutional database analysis. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery; 93(4):1027-32. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22130269
[xxi] Nicastri, DG et al. (2008 Mar). Thoracoscopic lobectomy: report on safety, discharge independence, pain, and chemotherapy tolerance. The Journals of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery; 135(3):642-7. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18329487.
[xxii] Kris, M.G. et al. (2013, Oct 29). “Treatment with Therapies Matched to Oncogenic Drivers Improves Survival in Patients with Lung Cancers: Results from The Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium (LCMC).” 15th World Conference on Lung Cancer, Sydney, Australia: Abstract PL03. Read abstract here.
[xxiii] Chow, CJ et al. (2013 Apr). Does enrollment in cancer trials improve survival? Journal of the American College of Surgeons 216(4):774-80. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23415510.
[xxiv] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.) Expanding the Playing Field: Immune-Based Therapy Shows Potential for Lung, Other Cancers. Retrieved 17-Nov-2013 from http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/summary/2012/PD-1-immunotherapy0612.
[xxv] Gillis, Bonnie. (2013 Sep 29). PD-L1 Inhibitor Delivers Rapid, Durable Responses in Advanced NSCLC. Retrieved 17-Nov-2013 from http://www.onclive.com/conference-coverage/ecco-esmo-2013/PD-L1-Inhibitor-Delivers-Rapid-Durable-Responses-in-Advanced-NSCLC
[xxvi] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Palliative Care Improves Survival, Quality of Life in Advanced Lung Cancer. Retrieved 17-Nov-2013 from http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/summary/2010/early-palliative-care0910.
#LCSM 
Thanks for letting us know, Rachael. I’ll remove that tweet from this page.
Tonya Sears story link doesn’t work this year.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Sherman.
Cancer is so difficult to cure because it is not one disease, but many. Hopefully the newer research into genomics, proteomics, and immunology will bring new insights to research for lung cancer as well as other cancers.
This was a really hard-hitting collection of facts. Besides being astounded at how much more extensive lung cancer is than a lot of other cancers, as well as it being relegated to second-class citizen status in the world of cancer research dollars, I think the fact that most struck me was this: “The 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is 16%, about the same as it’s been for 40 years.” How can this be? After so many decades of intense research and awareness for cancer in general, how can we still be so far away from more effective treatments? This is even more alarming for our sickest patients who need the most help. Stage 4 survival rates really haven’t changed much at all in recent decades. It leaves me wondering if somehow the traditional medical community has somehow missed something really big in its thinking on cancer. What is some of that basic, traditional thinking is just wrong? I feel like we need more researchers who are specifically questioning our most basic assumption about what cancer is and how it operates. Perhaps that kind of contrary approach would turn up something new, a fresh perspective that would lead to re-thinking cancer and its treatment. I’m searching for those kinds of answers myself, and I sincerely hope that they can be found! — Sherman Morrison
Great list of tweet sized facts – will share! ~Catherine
Larry,
#LCAM2013 is a Twitter hashtag rather than a link. It’s not associated with just LCSM Chat–many organizations are using it to raise the visibility of Lung Cancer Awareness Month on Twitter and help with trending stats.
We do post links to this website on Twitter, Facebook, and other places, and welcome efforts by others to publicize it. Thanks for your enthusiasm!
We host #LCSM chats on Twitter every other Thursday at 8 PM Eastern. The next one will be Thursday November 7, 2013. Hope to see you there!
When I click on #LCAM2013 in twitter it doesn’t send me to this blog? Seems to be a lot of good info here? I don’t think we should keep this blog a secret?