World Lung Cancer Day - 1st August 2018

: 30 July 2018

Lung cancer continues to be one of the most common cancers worldwide, claiming more lives yearly than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. World Lung Cancer Day is a great opportunity for us all to raise awareness about lung cancer , highlighting the key risk factors as well as screening and treatment options.

This World Lung Cancer Day the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) commemorate, celebrate and support those impacted by lung cancer.

FIRS continues to support the grassroots efforts of the lung cancer community to raise awareness about lung cancer and its global impact, creating an educational movement of understanding about lung cancer risks as well as early treatment around the world.

Lung Cancer - The Facts

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 1.8 million new cases and 1.6 deaths in 2012.
Lung cancer is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 global deaths (1.59 million deaths, 19.4 percent of the total).
The highest estimated rates of lung cancer are in Northern America (33.8) and Northern Europe (23.7), with a relatively high rate in Eastern Asia (19.2), and the lowest rates in Western and Middle Africa (1.1 and 0.8 respectively).
More than 90 percent of high-income countries reported that treatment services are available for lung cancer as compared to less than 30 percent of low-income countries.
Lung cancer risk factors include passive exposure to tobacco smoke, biomass fuels, diesel exhaust, radon, asbestos and other environmental and workplace carcinogens.
Lung cancer has a five-year survival rate (17.7 percent) which is lower than many other leading cancer sites, such as the colon (64.4 percent), breast (89.7 percent) and prostate (98.9 percent).