Over the past four decades, significant funding for research and early detection has greatly increased five year survival rates for breast cancer (88 percent), prostate cancer (99 percent) and colon cancer (65 percent).
Underfunded and ignored, lung cancer five year survival rate is still only 15 percent.
The LCA-GA 2008 Report Card on Lung Cancer grades the following seven
categories:
-- Number of Deaths -- GRADE: F Lung cancer is the number one cause of
cancer death among Georgian men and women.
-- Five-Year Survival Rate -- GRADE: F Lung cancer is the only major cancer
with virtually no improvement in survival for nearly 40 years, and a
five year survival rate that has hovered at 15 percent.
-- State-Supported Research -- GRADE: F Lung cancer is under-funded and
under-researched relative to its Georgia public health impact.
-- Newly-Addicted Youth Smokers -- GRADE: F 13,100 new Georgian
"daily" smokers under age 18 become addicted each year.
Georgia is one of only 5 states not covering prescription medications to
quit smoking under Medicaid losing federal matching funds and is 48th
out of 50 states in tobacco prevention spending, spending only $2.3
million in the 2009 budget, less than 1% of tobacco-related revenues.
-- State-Supported Early Detection Program -- GRADE: F Georgia continues to
ignore the mounting data showing that CT screening in a high risk
population will save lives.
-- State Cancer Plan Commitment -- GRADE: D The 2008 State Cancer Plan is
underwhelming in its commitment to patients, survivors, and caregivers
who are looking for leadership to reverse decades of stigma and neglect
too long attached to lung cancer.
-- Disparity Issue -- GRADE: F The lung cancer incidence and mortality for
African-American males in Georgi
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