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11 Facts About Lung Cancer

Welcome to DoSomething.org, a global movement of millions of young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. After you learn something, Do Something! Find out how to take action here.

  1. Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of both men and women in America.^["Lung Cancer Fact Sheet - American Lung Association." American Lung Association. http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html (accessed July 21, 2014).]
  2. Cancer of the lungs takes more lives every year than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined. Create and share homemade cards encouraging a smoker in your life to quit. Sign up for Quitters Always Win^["Lung Cancer Fact Sheet - American Lung Association." American Lung Association. http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html (accessed July 21, 2014).]
  3. Nearly 400,000 people in the US are living with lung cancer.^["Lung Cancer Fact Sheet - American Lung Association." American Lung Association. http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html (accessed July 21, 2014).]
  4. 81% of those living with lung cancer are over the age 60. The disease ails the elderly the most severely.^["Radiology Associates." Radiology Associates. http://www.radassociates.com/NewsAndEvents.aspx (accessed July 22, 2014).]
  5. The survival rate of lung cancer (17%) is drastically lower than breast cancer, with a survival rate of 90% and prostate with nearly 100%.^["Lung Cancer Fact Sheet - American Lung Association." American Lung Association. http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html (accessed July 21, 2014).]
  6. Only 15% of lung cancers are caught at an early stage. When it has spread to other organs, the survival rate drops to 3.5%.^["Lung Cancer Fact Sheet - American Lung Association." American Lung Association. http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html (accessed July 21, 2014).]
  7. More than half of those with lung cancer pass away within a year of diagnosis.^["Lung Cancer Fact Sheet - American Lung Association." American Lung Association. http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html (accessed July 21, 2014).]
  8. Smoking is responsible for roughly 90% of all cases of lung cancer.^["Smoking - American Lung Association." American Lung Association. http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/about-smoking/health-effects/smoking.html (accessed July 19, 2014).]
  9. Exposure to asbestos also puts one at risk for lung cancer. The combination of asbestos exposure and smoking seriously increases an individual's risk of developing it.^[Cancer and the Environment." National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/environment/AllPages (accessed July 20, 2014).]
  10. African-Americans are the most prone to developing lung cancer of all ethnic and racial groups.^["African Americans and Cancer." African Americans and Cancer. http://www.fhcrc.org/en/events/cancer-in-our-communities/african-americans-and-cancer.html (accessed July 19, 2014).]
  11. Though black women smoke fewer cigarettes than white women, their incidence rate of lung cancer is roughly equal.^["Lung Cancer Fact Sheet - American Lung Association." American Lung Association. http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html (accessed July 21, 2014).]
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