Lung cancer is not only the third most common cancer, but also the leading cause of cancer deaths nationwide, and Black Americans are feeling the sting of these statistics in a major way. With the insidious nature of the disease, health professionals underscore the dire importance of early detection, particularly in communities facing the greatest health disparities.
Among the nearly 250,000 Americans estimated to be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, medical data shows that Black men, women under 50 years old, and individuals living in rural areas are disproportionately affected by the disease, experiencing higher rates of diagnosis and mortality compared to other demographics.
For Black Americans, statistics regarding early detection reveal room for improvement.
“Black individuals with lung cancer were 15% less likely to be diagnosed early, 19% less likely to receive surgical treatment, 11% more likely to not receive any treatment, and 16% less likely to survive five years compared to white individuals,” according to the American Lung Association.
Although factors such as limited access to healthcare, and medical mistrust can stand as barriers to early care for lung cancer, vague or mistaken symptoms of the disease can also prevent people from catching the cancer at an early stage.
Unlike breast and prostate cancers, which are often detected early through self-examination and screening, lung cancer symptoms typically appear when the disease is advanced.
Dr. Jessica Wang Memoli, pulmonologist and director of Bronchoscopy and Interventional Pulmonary at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, explained how the absence of physical symptoms can negatively impact lung cancer outcomes.
“With lung cancer, usually you don’t feel anything in your lungs. The lung tissue itself doesn’t have any pain sensors, so if something is growing in your lungs, you don’t feel it,” Wang Memoli told The Informer. “And a lot of times, once they have symptoms from lung cancer, it’s advanced.”
Lung Cancer Risk Factors
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 80% to 90% of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. are linked to smoking tobacco.
“People who smoke cigarettes are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke,” according to the CDC.
But while cigarette smoke is cited as the leading risk factor for lung cancer, the disease is becoming less exclusively linked to smoking persons and showing increased rates of lung cancer diagnoses in people with little to no history of smoking, especially in women.
Statistics estimate that 25% of women and 10% of men with lung cancer have never smoked before and in many cases are found incidentally, meaning the disease was discovered because patients had a scan for another reason.
The CDC estimates between 10% to 20% of those who develop lung cancer across the U.S. have never smoked or had any significant exposures.
Other causes are often attributed to occupational exposure to asbestos, inhalation injuries, and environmental risks like radon.
“There are certainly occupational exposures, so, people who have worked in certain industries [and] have had injury. There’s some exposure to asbestos, for instance, in people who were mechanics and worked on breaks,” said Wang Memoli. “There’s actually some inhalational injury that dentists, of years passed, when they were drilling teeth, [experienced] inhalation injury.”
These risks are exacerbated without proper masking processes and protocols in place.
Similarly, indoor radon also poses a health risk to causing lung cancer. Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that forms in rocks, soil, and water, can get trapped and gradually build in the air. Over an extended period of time, people living or working in homes and buildings breathing in high levels of radon are more susceptible to developing lung cancer.
The Importance of Early Screening
Due to the commonality of undetected symptoms in the earlier stages of lung cancer, early screening is not a commonality for the disease. Typically, doctors will recommend screening tests for those who are at higher risk of diagnosis, namely people who smoke or previously smoked.
The American Lung Association reports that in 2022, just 5.8% of eligible Americans were screened for lung cancer, with some states showing screening rates as low as 1%.
While early screening is critical for all cancers, it bears a significant weight when considering lung cancer shows “one of the lowest five-year survival rates because cases are often diagnosed at later stages, when it is less likely to be curable,” according to the American Lung Association.
Across the country, only 25.8% of cases are diagnosed during an early state when the five-year survival rate is greater at 61%. Inversely, 44% of lung cancer cases are not diagnosed until a later stage, tanking the survival rate to only 7%.
In a one-minute video for lung cancer sponsored by Stand Up to Cancer, rapper Common, often lauded for his positive work in the Black community through his artistry and philanthropy, emphasizes the importance of screenings for the disease.
“Change is possible, and it starts with you,” Common says in the advertisement.
The rapper explained why he decided to support Stand Up to Cancer’s efforts.
“In 2014 my father died after his battle with cancer,” said Common. “He was truly someone who inspired me and made me want to be better. I believe that we can do better for ourselves – especially as Black men when it comes to health. I’m honored to support Stand Up To Cancer’s campaign to bring awareness to lung cancer research.”
Lung cancer symptoms typically appear after the cancer has spread, but some people may experience subtle symptoms in the early stages. Symptoms can vary depending on where the cancer starts in the lungs, but some common ones include: A cough that persists or worsens, shortness of breath, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, and reduced appetite, among other ailments.
Despite the outcomes of lung cancer diagnoses, Wang Memoli feels hopeful that health care developments will lead to earlier detection and greater survival rates in the near future.
“Now with lung cancer screening, the hope, of course, is that we change those statistics,’ Wang Memoli told The Informer. “I think we’ve made some advances in that respect, but it’s still pretty prevalent.”
