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Our Commitment to Improving Failing Grades
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 |
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Number of Deaths |
|
F |
|
Unacceptable. Lung cancer is still the #1
cancer killer, killing more than three times as
many men as prostate cancer, nearly twice as
many women as breast cancer and nearly three
times as many men and women as colon cancer.
The death rate is so high that an estimated
174,470 will be diagnosed in 2006, an increase
over 2005, and 162,460 will die.
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|
|
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Five-Year-Survival-Rate |
|
F |
|
Must make better strides. Only 16% of those
diagnosed live longer than five years. Virtually
no improvement since President Nixon and
Congress declared "War on Cancer" in 1971.
By comparison, breast cancer's five-year
survival rate is now 89% and prostate
cancer's is 100%. |
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|
|
|
|
Number of Late-Stage Diagnoses |
|
F |
|
No progress. 70% of diagnoses are still
late-stage. Late-stage diagnosis is a
lethal diagnosis. |
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|
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|
|
Newly-Addicted Youth Smokers |
|
F |
|
Shameful. About 2,000 new "daily" smokers under age 18 addicted each day, more than 700,000 a year. |
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|
|
|
|
Number of New Treatment and Diagnostic Options in the Last 30 Years |
|
D+ |
|
Slight progress One new drug, AvastinŽ,
approved for lung cancer in 2006. Patients and
those at risk still need significantly more options. |
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|
|
|
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Federally-Supported Early Detection Program |
|
F |
|
Intolerable. Federal government still does not
support early screening for lung cancer, while
it does for other major cancers with comparable
public health service ratings. No change despite
new data showing benefits of early detection. |
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|
|
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|
Overall Federal Commitment |
|
D- |
|
Slight progress. Unanimous endorsement by
Senate, and under consideration by House, a
resolution recognizing lung cancer as a national
public health priority. But, overall plan, funding
and sense of urgency still lacking. |
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