Report shows room for improvement in lung cancer screening
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe American Lung Association this month released the 2023 State of Lung Cancer (SOLC) report, which shows Indiana in the middle of the pack when it comes to lung cancer screenings in the U.S.
Indiana ranks 24th in the nation, with a 5.1% rate for lung cancer screenings compared to the national average of 4.5%. The association says annual lung cancer screenings for those at high risk can reduce the death rate from lung cancer by up to 20%, and Indiana fell four spots from its 2022 screening rate.
Tiffany Nichols, Indiana director of advocacy for the American Lung Association, told Inside INdiana Business that state legislators should look at increasing the state’s cigarette tax and stronger policies regarding radon to help lower the number of lung cancer cases.
She said Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Indiana.
“We don’t have the best radon regulation,” Nichols said. “We passed some legislation in recent memory where it kind of mandated that schools disclose information that radon is something that’s bad, but it didn’t require testing or mitigation. We also don’t have any of those real estate disclosures where if you buy a house, it has to be tested for radon, letting you know what you’re getting into before you actually purchase the home.”
The American Lung Association says screenings are recommended for individuals between the age of 55 and 80, who have smoked a pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years and have quit less than 15 years in the past or are still smoking.
Nationally, the SOLC report found that lung cancer survival rates are improving for everyone, including people of color, who have seen a 17% increase in the five-year cancer survival rate.
“Thankfully, the lung cancer survival rate has improved nationally because of increased awareness, improved access to healthcare and cutting-edge research into new treatments for the disease,” said Nichols. “However, lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths here in Indiana and across the nation, and our recent report makes it clear that we have more work to do to improve screening rates.”
You can connect to the full SOLC report by clicking here.