CHEST Foundation Launches Lung Cancer Awareness Campaign
"Lung Cancer Care: A Team Approach" Urges Patients to Advocate for Care and Lung Specialists to Engage Multidisciplinary Care Teams for Optimal Treatment
GLENVIEW, Ill., Nov. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of National Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November, the CHEST Foundation of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) has launched its Lung Cancer Care: A Team Approach campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness about lung cancer, while reinforcing the importance of pulmonologists and lung cancer specialists working together to improve care for people with lung cancer.
"Pulmonologists play a key role in diagnosing, staging, and treating people with lung cancer," said CHEST Medical Director Mark J. Rosen, MD, Master FCCP. "As early intervention improves survival, upon patient diagnosis we encourage pulmonologists to collaborate with oncologists, thoracic surgeons, and other lung cancer specialists on multidisciplinary efforts that may result in better patient outcomes. And, we urge patients to talk with their doctors to seek referrals to these medical experts."
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women in the United States. More people die of lung cancer than of breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. Each year, over 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer and, although the American Lung Association estimates smoking is related to 90 percent of all lung cancer cases, more than 20,000 Americans who never smoked are diagnosed annually. Of Americans with advanced cancer who do not receive anticancer therapy, more than half have lung cancer.
"Over the last decade, treatment options for lung cancer have significantly advanced, and survival rates are increasing," added Dr. Rosen. "We encourage people with lung cancer to consult with their health-care team to talk about their options."
The Lung Cancer Care's website offers information to help patients, families, and caregivers learn about lung cancer, treatment options, lifestyle, and home remedies, plus more. The site also features a tool – Your Lung Cancer Team – that patients can download and use for initiating discussions with their physician about receiving multidisciplinary care.
For more information, visit the Lung Cancer Care: A Team Approach campaign at www.lungcancerteam.com. This campaign is supported by Genentech.
About CHEST
CHEST is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research. CHEST serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 18,700 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. For more information about CHEST, visit www.chestnet.org.
The CHEST Foundation, the foundation of CHEST, supports patient and public education programs; grants, awards, and lectures for clinical and translational research; community service and humanitarian programs; and youth tobacco prevention programs. Since 1996, the foundation has provided more than $9 million for outstanding work in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. For more information about the CHEST Foundation, visit www.chestnet.org/foundation.
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SOURCE The CHEST Foundation
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