An Update on Lung Cancer

by Dale Levy, M.D.

Lung cancer is a devastating illness. While it is not the leading cancer in either men or women, it is the #1 cause of cancer deaths in both. In 2025, an estimated 226,650 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the US and 124,730 people will die from the disease. Cigarette smoking is by far the most important risk factor, with approximately 86% of lung cancers in the US caused by smoking according to a new study by American Cancer Society researchers. However, due to decreasing trends in smoking the overall incidence of lung cancer has also been decreasing. Consequently, it is anticipated that the incidence in non-smoking causes of lung cancer will continue to rise and will soon be >20%. In addition, lung cancer mortality rates have declined by 61% since 1990 in men and by 38% since 2002 in women. This is not only due to smoking trends, but also due to major advances in treatment for Lung Cancer and earlier detection. In fact, in early-stage lung cancer, survival rates are reported to be as high as 90%.

Cancer diagnosis and treatment is an extraordinarily stressful event. Lung cancer survivorship can bring about both physical and emotional health issues. Surgery can have lifelong effects on a patient’s ability to breathe as prior to surgery. There can also be lifelong effects on stamina and physical fitness. There can also be chronic pain and other chronic conditions that develop from therapy.

But emotional well being is as much a health issue as physical. There are multiple ways that people process these emotions – many stay busy and try not to think about it, some people will find joining a support group or talking with other patients helpful, while others need to do a lot of research to gain a sense of control and feel confident in their healthcare decisions. There are many avenues for processing the emotions brought forth by cancer diagnosis or stigma, but patients and caregivers should prioritize emotional well-being in the same way that they prioritize physical well-being. Both are essential to survivorship.

Profound societal changes have happened for breast cancer, largely because of the engagement of the breast cancer community. However, this is poorly developed in the lung cancer community. One of the barriers to meaningful support is the stigma associated with smoking.

More than half of people with lung cancer say they have been stigmatized by friends, family, and even healthcare providers at some point in their cancer journey. Other people may assume, because lung cancer is often caused by smoking, that the patient is to blame. It’s important to remember that nobody brings cancer onto themselves. Nicotine cigarettes are a serious addiction, and no one should ever be blamed for their cancer. Lung cancer stigma can make some people reluctant to talk about their diagnosis, because they don’t want to get a lecture about smoking. When patients don’t share their diagnosis, they miss out on the social support that is so important for all people facing cancer. The tendency to blame the patients can also divide lung cancer advocacy and fundraising communities, by creating an us-versus-them relationship between patients who have a smoking history and those who do not.

By emphasizing the importance of emotional health, we soon may welcome and be inclusive of a lung cancer community made up of people who never smoked as well as those who either previously or currently smoke. We are all dedicated to bringing the best discovery and innovation to the lung cancer space, and to saving the lives of all who are affected by lung cancer.

Refuah shlema: Refuah hanefesh and Refuah haguf.

Resources:

The Cancer Survivors Network CSN, csn.cancer.org is a safe online community where patients, survivors, and caregivers support each other, ask questions, and share practical tips. CSN had approximately 1.2 million users in 2023.

LUNGevity offers the largest online network of support and in-person survivorship programs for all people affected by lung cancer. https://www.lungevity.org/patients-care-partners/support-services