November Is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

by Jeffrey J Kroll.

It is hard to believe, but the 2024 estimates for lung cancer in the United States are that approximately 283,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer. Each year, roughly 125,000 deaths are related to lung cancer. Sadly, 20% of all cancer deaths are lung cancer.

While there are risk factors, such as smoking (80% to 90% of lung cancers are linked to tobacco use), there are other contributing factors for lung cancer, including occupational exposure, genetics/family history, and air pollution.

Every November, Lung Cancer Awareness Month is observed. Often, dying or being severely injured from lung cancer is a result of a misdiagnosis or failure to properly diagnose a lung condition. When lung cancer is not caught in a timely fashion, lung cancer can result in lower life expectancies. For example, a 5-year survival rate when caught at an early stage is 63% but only 8% when caught at a later stage.

The Importance of Early Detection and Diagnosis

One of the more serious issues involving a healthcare provider in failing to diagnose lung cancer at an early stage is that the cancer may be spreading or metastasizing in the body elsewhere. This can often occur even before an individual experiences any signs of lung cancer, including breathing difficulties.

I want to emphasize, the earlier lung cancer is caught, the better one’s chances of survival. Of course, much of the responsibility in diagnosing this condition comes from the healthcare community. There are generally 4 stages of lung cancer:

Stage 1 – Cancer most likely has not begun spreading to other parts of the body. The tumors are often relatively small.

Stage 2 – The cancer may have begun spreading elsewhere in the body as the tumor is now starting to grow.

Stage 3 – These tumors may be quite large and have moved into various other organs in or near the lungs.

Stage 4 – This is the latter stage. The cancer may now have moved into both lungs or into several other organs of the body.

Contact Kaveny and Kroll for Help After a Missed Lung Cancer Diagnosis

If you or a loved one has suffered from lung cancer because a doctor has failed to provide a timely diagnosis or failed to recognize the cancer, contact the medical malpractice and lung cancer attorneys at Kaveny and Kroll. Your family may be entitled to compensation for economic and non-economic damage related to injury or health. Contact a lung cancer lawyer at Kaveny and Kroll for a free trial consultation.