smokers should undergo an annual screening for lung cancer if they have a 20-pack-year history , which is defined as smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year . Individuals should be screened with a low-dose computed tomography scan , which uses X-rays to form a complete image of a person ’ s lungs .
Black men and lung cancer
Race may impact whether someone is diagnosed with lung cancer , according to the ALA . Black individuals with lung cancer are less likely than white individuals to be diagnosed early , reducing the chance of effective treatment . Black men , in general , have the highest rates of death from lung cancer in the United States .
According to a November report from the ALA , Black people are 16 % less likely than white patients to live for five years after being diagnosed with lung cancer because , as the research shows , they ' re also less likely to receive surgical intervention and other treatment options .
A January study by the ACS made an explicit connection between cancer mortality in the Black community and racial inequities . “ Racial disparities in cancer occurrence and outcomes are largely the result of long-standing inequalities in wealth that lead to differences in both risk factor exposures and access to equitable cancer prevention , early detection , and treatment ,” the report said . " Ultimately , disproportionate wealth stems from hundreds of years of structural racism , including segregationist and discriminatory policies in criminal justice , housing , education , and employment that have altered the balance of prosperity , security , and other social determinants of health .”
How can we fight lung cancer ?
Lung cancer is typically treated with surgery , chemotherapy , radiation therapy and / or immunotherapy . New treatments , as well as a push for more people to get screened for lung cancer as early as possible , are lowering the rate of death from lung cancer .
The best way to avoid lung cancer is to never start smoking , or to quit as soon as possible . The CDC also recommends avoiding secondhand smoke by making your home and car smoke-free zones . The Environmental Protection Agency also recommends that every home be tested for radon due to its link to lung cancer .
Source : Andre Braugher died of lung cancer at 61 . What to know about the disease . ( yahoo . com )