To start , we must do a better job of engaging at-risk groups and raising awareness among those eligible for screening . Most importantly , we must start communicating that a lung cancer diagnosis is no longer a death sentence . If caught early enough , there are now advanced treatments helping patients live fuller , longer lives .
Expanding eligibility would also save lives , but we still need to ensure people have access to screening . We must also invest in early detection technology that can catch lung cancer early in people who do not meet current LDCT screening criteria .
While we continue to work towards early detection methods that are easier , more reliable , and less expensive to apply to a broader population , we must commit to raising screening rates for the eligible now . All eligible individuals must have the opportunity to make an informed decision about being screened . It just might save their lives .
President Biden said in a recent speech that getting more Americans screened and addressing barriers to screening is vital to our fight to end lung cancer . Saving lives is possible right here , right now .
F I L E D U N D E R
# DISEASE ( https :// harvardpublichealth . org / disease /)
# HEALTH POLICY & MANAGEMENT ( https :// harvardpublichealth . org / health‐policy‐management /)
C O N T R I B U T O R S
UBR
Upal Basu Roy
Upal Basu Roy PhD , MS , MPH , is the Executive Director of Research at the LUNGevity Foundation .
MD
Mary Delaware
Mary Delaware is the senior graphic designer at Harvard Public Health .