Lung Cancer Screening in IOWA
Lung cancer , a deadly disease , casts a long shadow over countless lives around the world . Despite all the advancements being made to reduce the incidence of lung cancer , the stigma and lack of education surrounding lung cancer persists . But , there is hope . The American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative ( ALCSI ) is a nationwide organization that aims to prevent lung cancer deaths through outreach , advocacy , and education . ALSCI is unique because it focuses on early prevention and screening as the best preventative measure , something not many organizations focus on .
Lung cancer often progresses silently and often remains undetected until it is too late . The national screening rate is less than 6 % annually , and even as low as 1 % in states like California . Thus , one of ALCSI ’ s primary focuses is to educate the public about lung cancer screening and who may be eligible to get screened . High-risk individuals may include , but are not limited to , people with a smoking history , that are 50 + years old , who have a family history of lung cancer , or are part of a certain socioeconomic group that has the potential to raise exposure to lung cancer . While all of these risk factors are within our control , early intervention is all the more crucial .
Although phenomenal strides are being made to combat lung cancer , this disease still wreaks havoc on people around the world . From 2016-2019 , there was an average of 269,134 new lung cases and 178,121 deaths from lung cancer per year in the United States . This makes lung cancer the second leading cause of death after heart disease in the US and the leading cause of cancer death in the world overall . However , with the help of medical advancements and organizations like ALCSI , there is hope . In 2020 , there were only 197,453 new lung cancer cases and 136,084 deaths from lung cancer were reported in the United States alone by the Center for Disease Control . More specifically , in Iowa , the rate of new lung cancer cases in 2020 was 63 cases , which falls in the average rate of diagnosis amongst all states in the US . Additionally , Iowa has a 5-year survival rate of 23 %, which is the proportion of people with lung cancer that will be alive after five years . This places it below the national average of 25 %; furthermore , 23 % of lung cancer cases in Iowa are diagnosed at an early stage .
Although there are a variety of factors that have led to these improvements , the work of the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative plays a major role in reducing deaths from lung cancer both in Iowa and nationwide . ALSCI has passed proclamations in every state . In Iowa alone , ALCSI has received six proclamations to declare November as Lung Cancer Awareness month in Marshalltown ( two ), West Des Moines ( one ), Waterloo ( one ), Fort Dodge ( one ), and Ames ( one ). Additionally , ALCSI has launched national programs focused on government initiatives , education campaigns , and support for smoking cessation and lung cancer screening , which has proven to be incredibly effective in lung cancer prevention . For example , ALCSI hosts podcasts with lung cancer survivors , presentations with government health boards and healthcare organizations , and events to advocate for lung cancer prevention .
In the war against lung cancer , ALCSI stands as a brushstroke of hope . As research has shown , early detection is essential to combat lung cancer , and it all starts with you . For more information about how you can be part of the solution , visit alcsi . org or contact info @ alcsi . org .
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