A new report from the American Lung Association says that people who have lung cancer are living longer.
Despite the condition persisting as the deadliest cancer in the United States, the rate of people living longer is climbing. According to the report, lung cancer survival rates have jumped 26% in the last five years alone.
The report credits biomarker testing, which identifies changes in a tumor’s DNA, with improving the survival rate. This type of testing can help patients obtain tailored treatments, bolstering their survival odds.
“About every two minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with lung cancer, and every day, lung cancer takes the lives of more than 361 of our friends, neighbors and loved ones. But now there is hope, as more people in the U.S. than ever are surviving lung cancer,” reads the 2024 report.
The study also highlighted the variation in screening and survival rates from state to state.
In 2023, 15% of eligible Americans were screened for lung cancer. Rhode Island topped the list with 28.6% of residents screened, while Wyoming had less than a third of that rate at 8.6%.
Massachusetts had the highest survival rate, 37.9%, compared to Oklahoma’s 22.2%, the lowest in the nation.
When caught at an early stage, survival rates are 64%. If caught at a late stage, lung cancer survival drops to just 9%.
Across the United States, 27.4% of lung cancers are diagnosed early. Massachusetts again led this category, with 34.7% of cases diagnosed early; Hawaii had the worst, with 21.1%.
When identified early, surgery is often used to treat it before it spreads. Nevada had the highest lack-of-treatment rate, at 36.7%, and Massachusetts had the lowest, at 13.2%.
“Increasing lung cancer screening rates and expanding biomarker testing are enormous opportunities to catch cancer earlier and provide the best treatments for people diagnosed with the disease. There is more work to do, but I am incredibly optimistic about the future of lung cancer care,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association (ALA).
According to the ALA, Texas has above-average rates of new lung cancer cases and below-average rates of survival.