Today, 85% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States will die from it within 5 years. With over 160,000 deaths per year, this makes lung cancer the number one cancer killer in America, claiming more lives than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined.
The battle against lung cancer is not, however, lost. Hope has been found in the early detection of lung cancer with annual CT screening of high-risk individuals. Annual screening with CT scans can find lung cancers in their earliest stage, when up to 92% can be cured.
The International Early Lung Cancer Action Program is a group of 48 institutions in 9 countries, dedicated to studying the benefits associated with early detection of lung cancer by CT screening, and the best practices for using it.