NLCRT expands portal of resources to help Americans fight lung cancer

The National Lung Cancer Roundtable (NLCRT) has expanded its portal of resources to help Americans fight lung cancer. The updated Resource Center includes new videos, infographics, research, and more.

This year the American Cancer Society predicts that more than 220,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with lung cancer. Of these, nearly 142,000 will die of the disease, which is more people that will die from breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. The NLCRT and its 118 member organizations hope to leverage Lung Cancer Awareness Month to remind Americans that anyone can get lung cancer, and to offer ways that lung cancer can be detected and treated in its earliest stages.

If you are between the ages of 55-80, and are a long-term smoker or former smoker, talk with your health care provider about annual lung cancer screening with a Low Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) examination. Screening can find lung cancer early when it can be most effectively treated.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women. Finally, we have a screening exam that will make a major impact and change the face of lung cancer for the future to a survivable cancer, not a death sentence."

Ella Kazerooni, MD, MS, chair of the National Lung Cancer Roundtable and Professor of Radiology and Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan

The American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, the American College of Surgeon's Commission on Cancer, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and many other medical and scientific organizations all recommend lung cancer screening for high-risk individuals. These guidelines can be found in the updated Resource Center, along with patient and provider education information, and implementation guides and tools.

"After decades of having little to offer adults at high risk for lung cancer, we've entered a new era where we now have evidence that lung cancer screening saves lives, and new targeted therapies and immunotherapy are offering new hope to patients diagnosed with advanced lung cancer," said Richard Wender, MD, Chief Cancer Control Officer at the American Cancer Society.

Even if you have never smoked, know the symptoms of lung cancer, and follow up with your health care provider if appropriate. Almost 20% of lung cancers occur in people with no history of tobacco usage, often caused by a genetic mutation. Comprehensive biomarker testing can help identify the cause of certain lung cancers and provide a guide to the most effective treatments.

"In 2015, as a young, healthy, non-smoking female, I was unaware my simple cough would result in a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis. I was given months to live, but advancements in precision medicine have made it possible for me to live an active life. Public education is vital and lung cancer research investment must equal the impact of the disease," said Gina Hollenbeck, President of ALK Positive and a Lung Cancer Survivor.

The NLCRT Resource Center curates member organizations' educational and support materials on lung cancer statistics, risk factors, lung cancer screening, symptoms, public and provider education, and comprehensive biomarker testing and treatment modalities for people with lung cancer, all designed to make it easier for patients and their families and health care providers to find the information they need.

The NLCRT is a collaboration of public, private, and voluntary organizations who play a key role in reducing the incidence and mortality from lung cancer. The NLCRT works collectively to address the pressing issues that stand in the way of advancing progress and delivering best practices in lung cancer control through efforts to increase public and professional education, prevention and early detection, quality assurance, access to care, effective health policy, and access to optimal diagnosis, treatment, and care for cancer patients and their families.