A new report from the American Lung Association has highlighted that Kentucky has more lung cancer cases than any other state.
Released on Nov. 4 in tandem with the beginning of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the “State of Lung Cancer” evaluation also explained that Kentucky has the second-highest rate of adult smokers nationwide. West Virginia is the only state lighting up more frequently.
For Kentucky, previously ranked as fourth nationwide, this marks a return to an unfavourable position on the leaderboard. Nearly 20 per cent of state residents over 21 smoke. The quantity is 50 per cent higher than the national average.
Despite a 9 per cent improvement in Kentucky’s rate of new lung cancer cases over the past five years, it still ranks at the very bottom of the 50 American states. Kentucky’s rate of new lung cancer cases is 84.1 per 100,000 — much higher than the national average of 52.8.
“Our state continues to face some of the nation’s most severe lung cancer challenges,” said American Lung Association Advocacy Director Shannon Baker.
Additionally, the state has a high concentration of radon gas compared to most. The American Lung Association has ranked Kentucky in the below average tier with a high percentage of radon testing results (36.9) showing levels equal to or beyond what the Environmental Protection Agency deems to be dangerous.
“Radon is relatively common in Kentucky because of the limestone ground,” explained University of Louisville professor and medical oncologist, Goetz Kloecker. “The radioactive gas that comes from the inner parts of the Earth percolates through the limestone and gets into the houses where it is inhaled by the residents.”
Radon can be found lurking close to the ground in the basements of houses. It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking, according to the University of Kentucky. The American Lung Association is known to offer free testing kits to help prevent disease.
Kentucky also still ranks among the lowest in the nation for survival rates at 25.51 per cent.
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Screening stature brings optimism
Despite the disheartening news about Kentucky’s lung cancer statistics, the state has been a leader in screening and diagnostics innovation. Kentucky’s screening percentage among the eligible population is sitting 3.2 per cent higher than the national average at 21.4 per cent.
The state implemented the Kentucky Lung Cancer Screening Program in 2022. It built on the QUILS (Quality Implementation of Lung Cancer Screening) system that was adopted statewide in 2014 by transitioning from a pilot project to a mandated, government-backed initiative. Eastern Kentucky University is currently evaluating the program.
Furthermore, Kentucky is home to medtech creator Breath Diagnostics: a company that has pioneered highly promising lung cancer breath test. Breath Diagnostics is currently inviting U.S. citizens to become private investors through its Reg CF campaign.
“We invite you to be part of our journey to make breath analysis the gold standard for disease detection,” the screening technology developer said in a posting on Wednesday.
Read more: Breath Diagnostics adopts state-of-the-art mass spectrometer device for lung screening
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