Raise Awareness on August 1st for World Lung Cancer Day

World Lung Cancer Day occurs every year on August 1st to help raise awareness and promote life-saving health screenings for lung cancer. ImageCare Radiology provides cancer imaging in New Jersey to diagnose and treat various cancers, including lung cancer. While we take pride in our services, we would much prefer a world where lung cancer no longer ravages as many lives as it does.

Less than 100 years ago, everyone smoked. Some people even considered it healthy, a thought that most of us would find mind-boggling today. In the 1940s, research linked smoking to cancer, and by the 1960s, the evidence was undeniable.

The number of smokers continues to decrease; however, the impact of smoking remains.

World Lung Cancer Day carries so much importance because, even though smoking is declining, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths. In 2020, lung cancer led to more deaths than breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers combined.

It’s estimated that 80% of lung cancer diagnoses are caused by smoking cigarettes. 11.5% of American adults still smoke. That may not seem like a super high percentage, but it equates to nearly 12 out of 100 adults.

You may never even touch a cigarette and still have lung cancer. Other risk factors associated with lung cancer, in addition to smoking, include:

• Alcohol abuse
• Exposure to radiation therapy, radon gas, asbestos, and carcinogens
• Exposure to secondhand smoke
• Family history of lung cancer
• Obesity
• Old age
• Viral infections like HPV

Lung cancer screenings are essential if you have any of the above risk factors, especially if you smoked or continue smoking. Most instances of lung cancer are not diagnosed until a later stage, rendering treatments ineffective.

The best advice we can give is to stop smoking if you still smoke. We know it can be a difficult habit to break, but the long-term impact isn’t worth it. Furthermore, get screened. The sooner you know you have lung cancer, the better your prognosis. Contact ImageCare Radiology for cancer imaging in New Jersey. Be sure to share this blog on your social media to help raise awareness for World Lung Cancer Day!