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(Embargoed: Oakland, CA, Noon Pacific, October 21, 2008) The American Lung Association of California launched a new campaign today to raise awareness about the devastating effects of lung cancer and the need for more research to find better treatments and early detection methods that will give lung cancer patients a fighting chance.
The campaign includes television public service announcements that feature three women who have been affected by lung cancer, including Deborah Morosini, MD, sister of the late Dana Reeve; Grace White, a comedian with lung cancer; and Alison Riddle, who lost her young sister to the disease, as well as print ads/posters highlighting people whose lives have been torn apart by lung cancer.
The association also released new data that shows lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women in the U.S., with 158,525 deaths attributed to lung cancer in 2006. An estimated 215,000 new lung cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, according to the American Lung Association’s Trends in Lung Cancer Morbidity and Mortality. The report shows that 16,903 Californians were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2004.
“This report highlights the reality of lung cancer – it kills more people than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined,” said Trisha Murakawa, board chair for the American Lung Association of California. “The five-year survival rate for lung cancer is among the lowest survival rates for any cancer. That’s why the American Lung Association is working to find better treatments and provide programs and services that help people cope with the disease.”
While there have been major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of other cancers in the last 30 years, the picture remains grim for lung cancer. The expected five-year survival rate for patients diagnosed with lung cancer is 15.2 percent compared to 63.9 percent for colon, 88.7 percent for breast, and 98.9 percent for prostate cancer, according to the report.
More Research Needed
The fact is significantly fewer dollars have been dedicated to lung cancer research. Scientists haven’t yet discovered how to reliably detect lung cancer at an earlier stage when treatments are more effective and before it has spread to other parts of the body.
For the last two years, the American Lung Association of California advocated unsuccessfully for the passage of Senate Bill 458, which would have created a new Lung Cancer Early Detection and Treatment Research program in California.
“There is a stigma around lung cancer because so many people think smokers brought it on themselves,” said Dr. Morosini, whose nonsmoking sister died of the disease less than two years after losing her husband, actor Christopher Reeve. “Nobody deserves to get lung cancer. The fact is smoking causes lung cancer and if you don’t smoke you lower your risk. But other things can cause lung cancer.”
Other known causes of lung cancer include exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, radon, air pollution, and certain chemicals. According to the report, exposure to radon accounts for 10 percent of all lung cancer cases and occupational exposure to carcinogens accounts for approximately 9 to 15 percent.
Symptoms don’t usually occur in people with lung cancer until the disease has progressed. Anyone experiencing the following symptoms should consult with their doctor:
• a cough that gets worse or does not go away
• breathing trouble, such as shortness of breath
• constant chest pain
• coughing up blood
• a hoarse voice
• frequent lung infections like pneumonia
• feeling very tired all the time
• weight loss with no known cause
The association’s report estimates that smoking causes 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in women and 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men. Compared to nonsmokers, men who smoke are 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer while women are 13 times more likely.
Gender Disparity Exists
While these numbers show that smoking is the number one cause of cancer, they also show the disparity between men and women when it comes to lung cancer. A greater percentage of lung cancer deaths in women are not caused by smoking. Like Reeve, comedian White never smoked and neither did Riddle’s sister.
“More women who never smoked get lung cancer than men who never smoked,” said Philippe Montgrain, MD. “That said women with lung cancer tend to have better outcomes, live longer and respond better to certain therapies.”
One of 10 researchers funded by the American Lung Association of California in 2007-2008, Dr. Montgrain is studying the parathyroid hormone-related protein produced by about two-thirds of lung cancers. The protein slows tumor growth in mice and prolongs survival rates in humans, however, this benefit is only seen by women because it seems the male hormone testosterone may inhibit the production of this protein.
“There is little we can offer lung cancer patients in the way of effective therapies,” said Dr. Montgrain. “I am hoping this study will lead to new therapies that can slow tumor growth and improve outcomes for our patients with this terrible disease.”
Association Offers Hope
The association’s lung cancer public service announcement and print ads/posters show real people sharing their experiences of living with the disease. The campaign is designed to raise awareness and give people affected by lung cancer hope. The American Lung Association of California offers a number of resources to help those diagnosed with the disease and their loved ones in addition to funding studies like Dr. Montgrain’s to help find better treatments.
The nationwide American Lung Association granted five Lung Cancer Discovery Awards in 2007-2008 to researchers across the country and has invested more than $1.6 million in lung cancer research since 2001.
The association’s online NexProfiler Tool can help people with lung cancer make informed decisions about their care and treatment. It provides a personalized report that weighs the pros and cons of treatment options. It also helps lung cancer patients know what to ask their doctors so they can get the answers they need to make the right decision for them. For a link, go to the American Lung Association of California’s Lung Cancer Center at www.californialung.org/lung-health/lung-cancer-center and click on “Get help with your lung cancer treatment decisions.”
You can also get your questions answered by calling the association’s free HelpLine at 800.586.4872, where you can speak to a registered nurse or respiratory therapist.
If you smoke, the American Lung Association can help you quit for good with its free online quit-smoking program at www.ffsonline.org. Freedom From Smoking® Online is a seven-part program that lets you quit at your own pace. The association also offers in-person quit-smoking classes for teens and adults.
The television public service announcement was created by filmmaker Wagner Portocarrero, who donated his work to the American Lung Association of California.
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For more than 100 years, the American Lung Association has been the lead organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is “Improving life, one breath at a time.” For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call.800.LUNG.USA (800.586.4872) or visit www.californialung.org or www.lungusa.org
