Report Reveals Lung Cancer Health Disparities in Florida

Dec 08, 2020 at 05:26 pm by pj


The American Lung Association has released its 3rd annual State of Lung Cancer report, which examines the toll of lung cancer in Florida, and outlines steps the state can take to protect its residents from lung cancer.

The report revealed promising news – more people than ever are surviving lung cancer. We are seeing a positive trend of increased lung cancer survival, as the nationwide five-year lung cancer survival rate is 22.6% and reflects a 13% improvement over the past five years. Here in Florida, we are fortunate to have above average lung cancer survival rates at 24.1%. This encouraging trend is aided by increased awareness of early detection through lung cancer screening and advancements in research, which have resulted in over 30 new lung cancer treatments approved by the U.S. FDA since 2016. 

Unfortunately, not all Florida residents are benefiting from these advancements. For the first time, the “State of Lung Cancer” report explores the lung cancer burden among racial and ethnic groups at the national and state levels. It revealed that people of color diagnosed with lung cancer face worse outcomes compared to white Americans because they are less likely to be diagnosed early, less likely to receive surgical treatment, and more likely to receive no treatment. 

In Florida, the most significant health disparity is that Black Americans are least likely to receive surgical treatment for lung cancer. The report also found that: 

The early diagnosis rate is 19.0% among Black Americans in Florida, which is significantly lower than the rate of 23.4% among whites in Florida.

The percent of cases undergoing surgery as the first course of treatment is 15.4% among Black Americans in Florida, which is significantly lower than the rate of 20.7% among whites in Florida.

 

The percent of cases receiving no treatment is 21.2% among Black Americans in Florida, significantly higher than the rate of 15.8% among Black Americans nationally, and significantly higher than the rate of 18.7% among whites in Florida.

Screening for lung cancer with annual low-dose CT scans among those at high risk can reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to 20% by detecting tumors at early stages when they are more likely to be curable. Unfortunately, Florida ranks poorly for lung cancer screening rates. Nationally, 5.7% of people at high risk, however Florida ranks as one of the worst in the country with a screening rate of 3.2%. 

We are making progress against lung cancer, but too many people are being left behind. We must all do more to address lung cancer, for all communities.

I encourage all Florida residents to educate themselves about lung cancer during November for Lung Cancer Awareness month, talk to your doctor about lung cancer screening, and if you smoke, quit. Learn more at Lung.org/SOLC.