Albert Rizzo, MD, on the Annual State of Lung Cancer Report

For the first time, the American Lung Association’s annual “State of Lung Cancer” (SOLC) report examined the burden of lung cancer among racial and ethnic groups at the national and state levels.

The report found that people of color who are diagnosed with lung cancer are less likely to be diagnosed early, less likely to receive surgical treatment, and more likely to receive no treatment. Moreover, the reported indicated that lack of access to quality and affordable health care is a key contributor of these worse outcomes.

“The ‘State of Lung Cancer’ highlights that too many people are being left behind when it comes to making progress against lung cancer,” Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, said in a press release. “We must all do more to address lung cancer, for all communities.”

In an interview with CancerNetwork®, Albert Rizzo, MD, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, discussed the findings of this year’s report and what he believes still needs to be accomplished for patients with lung cancer.

This segment comes from the CancerNetwork® portion of the MJH Life Sciences Medical World News, airing daily on all MJH Life Sciences channels.

Reference:

‘State of Lung Cancer’ Report Finds People of Color Face Greater Burden, Worse Lung Cancer Outcomes [news release]. Chicago. Published November 17, 2020. Accessed December 11, 2020.