In the U.S., lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, with nearly 220,000 new cases diagnosed in 2022.
Black/African Americans have among the highest incidence and mortality rates.
Asian American never-smokers have one of the highest lung cancer rates among never-smokers.
Screening remains low, with many eligible Hispanic Americans not getting screened.
When we share our health care journey, we can inspire others to take action, which may improve their healthcare outcomes.
It is important for Asian American lung cancer patients to self-advocate for genetic testing. While testing for lung cancer mutations does not reduce your risk for lung cancer, genetic testing can help identify the best treatment that will work for your type of lung cancer.
If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer and are interested in learning more about genetic testing or mutations in lung cancer, contact a CHM patient advocate here.
Unfortunately, Asian American never-smokers fall outside the U.S. lung cancer screening guidelines, which primarily target smokers. This can lead to lung cancer being diagnosed at later stages when it is more difficult to treat.
Studies have found low awareness of lung cancer screening guidelines among Asian American smokers and physicians caring for these communities. If you smoke or have regularly smoked in the past, getting a low dose CT scan (LDCT) every year can save your life.
There are many smoking cessation programs to help you stop smoking. Do it for you and the family and friends who love you.
It is important for Asian Americans to be aware of their lung health and get checked by a knowledgeable lung doctor (Pulmonologist) if experiencing any lung cancer symptoms, such as a long-lasting cough that does not go away.
When caught early, lung cancer is treatable, and may be cured. Increased awareness about lung cancer risk factors and lung cancer symptoms, especially for never-smokers, is key.
African Americans get and die from lung cancer more often when compared to other racial group. Health disparities impacting our community are:
There is a higher prevalence of certain genetic mutations in the African American community, such as KRAS and MET, when compared to white Americans. It is important for the African American community to advocate for genetic testing if diagnosed with lung cancer. While identifying lung cancer mutations does not reduce your risk for lung cancer, genetic testing can help identify the best treatment that will work for your type of lung cancer.
If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer and are interested in learning more about genetic testing or mutations in lung cancer, contact a CHM patient advocate here.
Less than 9% of eligible African Americans received low-dose CT (LDCT) screening. That means over 91% of African Americans are eligible, but do not seek screening for lung cancer. If you have health insurance, this test should be covered at no cost to you.
If you do not have health insurance, the average cost for a low-dose CT scan may be $250 but varies depending on the imaging center where the scan is done. There are some Community Centers that offer lung cancer screening at reduced rates, or at no cost at all.
If you smoke, there are many smoking cessation programs to help you stop smoking. Do it for you and the family and friends who love you.
When caught early, lung cancer is treatable and may even be cured. Increased awareness about lung cancer risk factors and getting a low-dose CT scan can save your life.
Studies have shown that Hispanic lung cancer patients have a delay of more than 2 months from diagnosis to starting treatment. Such delays can lead to worsened outcomes for the Hispanic community. Also, Hispanic Americans with early-stage lung cancer are less likely to receive surgery, which is the best option for a cure, when compared to white Americans.
Some studies show that there is a higher prevalence of certain genetic mutations in the Hispanic American community, such as EGFR, ALK, ROS-1, and MET, when compared to white Americans. It is important for Hispanic Americans to advocate for genetic testing if diagnosed with lung cancer. While testing for these lung cancer mutations does not reduce your risk for lung cancer, genetic testing can help identify the best treatment that will work for your type of lung cancer.
If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer and are interested in learning more about genetic testing or mutations in lung cancer, contact a CHM patient advocate here.
Only 2% of eligible Hispanic Americans received low-dose CT (LDCT) screening. That means almost 98% of Hispanic Americans are eligible but do not seek yearly screening for lung cancer. If you have health insurance, this test should be covered at no cost to you.
If you do not have health insurance, the average cost for a low-dose CT scan may be $250 but varies depending on the imaging center where the scan is done. There are some Community Centers that offer lung cancer screening at reduced rates, or at no cost at all.
If you smoke, there are many smoking cessation programs to help you stop smoking. Do it for you and the family and friends who love you.
When caught early, lung cancer is treatable, and may be cured. Increased awareness about lung cancer risk factors and getting a low-dose CT scan can save lives.
Certain genetic mutations, also known as a “change in genes,” can increase your chance of getting cancer. It is important to know that genetic mutations can be inherited from your parents OR can develop after birth. Also, not all mutations are bad.
Unfortunately, in lung cancer, many people will not know they have a genetic mutation until they already have cancer, as these types of mutations can only be found in lung cancer cells.
Mutations common in lung cancer are EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, and less common mutations are MET, ALK, and ROS-1.
If you have lung cancer, it is important for your doctor to do genetic testing to see if your lung cancer has a mutation because:
If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer and are interested in learning more about genetic testing or mutations in lung cancer, contact a CHM patient advocate here.
U.S. guidelines recommend that people between 50 and 80 years old who smoke, or smoked in the past, on a regular basis (defined as 20 cigarettes per day for 20 years, 40 cigarettes per day for ten years, ten cigarettes per day for 40 years) get screened with a test called low dose CT scan (LDCT) every year. If you have health insurance, this test should be covered at no cost to you.
Unfortunately, these screening guidelines exclude never-smokers, including Asian American, African American, and some Hispanic communities, who have a higher proportion of never-smokers with lung cancer.
Currently, there is no test that can screen for lung cancer in never-smokers.
It is important to be aware of the risk factors for lung cancer, go to your doctor for annual checkups, tell your doctor if you have risks for lung cancer and if you experience symptoms of lung cancer, such as a long-standing cough that does not go away.
This is especially important for never-smoker populations who are at higher risk for lung cancer, such as Women, Asians, African Americans, and certain Hispanic American groups.
First, don’t lose hope. We work with thousands of doctors who provide culturally competent care who are experienced in treating patients like you. Speak with us if you need help finding a doctor that treats your kind of cancer in other patients like you, or that speaks your language.
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