National Lung Cancer Screening Day is Saturday, November 12

Leading Lung Cancer Organizations Work Together to Increase Life-Saving Screenings

ATLANTA, Nov. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading lung cancer organizations have joined together to promote National Lung Cancer Screening Day on Saturday, November 12, 2022. As a Lung Cancer Awareness Month initiative, the American Cancer Society (ACS), National Lung Cancer Roundtable (NLCRT), American College of Radiology (ACR), GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, and Radiology Healthy Equity Coalition (RHEC) are promoting this life-saving event to screen more individuals and raise awareness about lung cancer screening.

Lung cancer screening centers nationwide are encouraged to participate by opening their doors to individuals on Saturday, November 12, 2022, to be screened for lung cancer. Through the promotion of National Lung Cancer Screening Day, screening centers will be increasing awareness of this life-saving service within their communities and among health care providers. Together we will ensure that more individuals initiate regular screening, ultimately leading to lung cancer being diagnosed early when treatment is more successful.    

Lung cancer screening is relatively new. Reported prevalence among adults eligible for screening is less than 10% nationally (ranging from <4-15%, depending on the state), whereas reported prevalence of both breast and colorectal cancer screening are greater than 60%. This discrepancy is in part due to lack of awareness about lung cancer screening by referring providers and patients, and the challenge in identifying patients eligible for screening. Access to and utilization of lung cancer screening has been particularly challenging for rural and racial/ethnic minority groups, including those who are more likely to live more than 40 miles away from a designated lung cancer screening center, be underinsured, and have lower health literacy.

To address these challenges, NLCRT recently hosted a Summit, Accelerating the Uptake of Lung Cancer Screening, to bring together the community of engaged partners and focus on a plan for increasing lung cancer screening rates. In fact, the February 2022 President's Cancer Panel  report recommends regular lung cancer screening as the single most effective strategy for reducing mortality from the disease and closing the gap in health equity. It has charged individuals, health systems, and communities with communicating and promoting lung cancer screening. Dr. John Williams, Chair of the President's Cancer Panel, shares the value of National Lung Cancer Screening Day in videos for both patients and providers.

For more information and to participate in National Lung Cancer Screening Day, please visit the NLCRT website. Complimentary marketing and instructional materials will be sent upon registration.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is the leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it for everyone. For more than 100 years, it has been the only organization improving the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. ACS also has a rich history as a global leader in the economic and health policy aspects of tobacco control.

The National Lung Cancer Roundtable (NLCRT), established by the American Cancer Society in 2017, is a consortium of more than 190 public, private, and voluntary organizations that collectively partner to problem-solve and achieve enduring systematic change to create lung cancer survivors. We engage experts in multidisciplinary collaborations, catalyze action to create, build, and strengthen innovative solutions, and develop and disseminate evidence-based interventions and best practices. It is the NLCRT's belief that working collectively will drive progress faster than working alone.

The American College of Radiology (ACR), founded in 1924, is a professional medical society dedicated to serving patients and society by empowering radiology professionals to advance the practice, science and professions of radiological care.

Founded by patients and survivors, GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer transforms survivorship as the world's leading organization dedicated to saving, extending, and improving the lives of those vulnerable, at risk, and diagnosed with lung cancer. GO2 Foundation works to change the reality of living with lung cancer by ending stigma, increasing public and private research funding, and ensuring access to care.

The Radiology Health Equity Coalition is a network  of patient-focused radiology societies will collect, assess, and disseminate resources and best practices, advocate for and connect with patients and community members, and collaborate on programs and services to improve access and utilization of preventative and diagnostic imaging.

SOURCE American Cancer Society