Click play to listen to the article, Taking Action for Cleaner Air and a World Free of Lung Disease. 

The American Lung Association aims to see a world that’s free of lung disease. As part of its efforts, the organization conducts an annual review of the factors that influence lung health across the United States. Climate change is one of the biggest reasons for air across the country. The report’s highlights indicate the importance of taking action for cleaner air.

The American Lung Association State of Lung Cancer Report looks at rates of new cases of lung disease, survival, early diagnosis, surgical treatment, lack of treatment, and screening. This is the 4^th annual review of the rates of lung disease, and here are some of the key findings.

Taking Action for Cleaner Air

Rates of Lung Disease across the country highlight the need for taking action for cleaner air.

• Utah has the nation’s best lung cancer rate, while Kentucky has the worst.
• Over the past five years, the rate of new cases of lung cancer decreased 10%
• Five-year survival rates are poor for lung cancer, as it’s often diagnosed in later stages of the disease. The national average is 23.7%, which is a 14% improvement over the previous five years. Connecticut ranked best at 28.8%, while Alabama ranked worst at 18.4%.
• Just 24% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early, treatable stage. Thankfully, early diagnosis rates increased 36% over the past five years nationally. Massachusetts has the best rate at 30%, and Hawaii has the worst at 19%.
• People of color who are diagnosed with lung cancer have lower survival rates than white Americans. Outcomes are generally worse for people of color because they are less likely to be diagnosed early, less likely to receive surgical treatment, and more likely to not receive any treatment.
• The overall survival rate for those diagnosed with lung cancer increased 14.5% over the past five years to 7%. Yet the rate remains significantly lower among communities of color at 20% and Black Americans at 18.0%.
• The American Lung Association recommends several measures for reducing rates of lung cancer, including: radon testing and mitigation; air quality protections; and reducing the smoking rate through tobacco tax increases, smoke-free air laws, and support in stopping tobacco use.

You can read the full State of Lung Cancer report on the American Lung Association’s website, lung.org. This resource offers information and data specific to each state, and includes ways to take action for cleaner air.

At AprilAire, we’re proud to support the American Lung Association in the fight for Healthy Air for all. It’s critical for individuals and governments to understand the importance of the air that we breathe and its impact on our health.

Part of that picture is the air quality where we live. To see how local weather events impact the air you breathe, check out AprilAire’s State of Your Air resource on our website.