WASHINGTON, D.C. [12/1/21]—Last night, U.S. Senator Tina Smith’s (D-Minn.) Senate resolution to designate November as “National Lung Cancer Awareness Month” passed by unanimous consent.
Smith was joined by U.S. Senators Rubio (R-Fla.), Van Hollen (D-Md.), Capito (R-W.Va.), and Scott (R-S.C.) in introducing the bipartisan resolution to express support for the early detection of lung cancer to help save lives and recognize the need for research to improve early screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
“We need to take every possible step to fight this terrible disease that kills tens of thousands of people in Minnesota and across the country each year,” said Sen. Smith. “Raising awareness about the importance of lung cancer screenings for eligible individuals could help detect the cancer earlier, and save lives. Former Minnesota U.S. Representative Rick Nolan and his daughter Katherine, who courageously fought stage 4 lung cancer for five years before succumbing to the disease, inspired me to advocate for early detection and research. I’m proud to carry on Katherine’s fight.”
“As we observe this November Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we amplify the efforts of this Congressional Resolution, to combat stigma, promote life-saving early detection-screening, particularly among women and racial and ethnic minorities disproportionately affected by lung cancer—to support increased research on diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. This reaffirms our commitment to transforming survivorship,” said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, President & CEO of GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer.
“The passage of this resolution in the US Senate by unanimous consent marks an important step to achieving more widespread awareness of lung cancer and lung cancer screening,” said Chi-Fu Jeffrey Yang MD, Thoracic Surgeon at Harvard Medical School and Founder of the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative. “Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States, and in 2021 alone, it is estimated that 131,880 Americans will die from lung cancer. Studies have shown that lung cancer screening can reduce lung cancer mortality by 20-33%. However, less than 6% of Americans at high-risk of lung cancer are currently getting screened. Increasing awareness of lung cancer and lung cancer screening has the potential to save many American lives. Thank you, Senator Tina Smith and Senator Marco Rubio, for leading this effort in the US Senate to recognize November as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month and to express support for the early detection and treatment of lung cancer.”
The resolution is also supported by The American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative, GO2 Foundation, American Lung Association, and Oncology Nursing Society.
You can read a copy of the resolution here.
English