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U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tina Smith (D-MN) applauded the U.S. Senate’s passage of their resolution to designate November 2022 as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. 
 
The resolution is also supported by the American Lung Association, American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative, and GO2 for Lung Cancer. 
 
The full text of the resolution is below. 
 
Whereas lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among individuals in the United States, accounting for more deaths than colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer combined;
 
Whereas it is estimated that, in 2022, 236,740 individuals in the United States will be diagnosed with lung cancer, and 130,180 individuals (approximately 350 individuals per day) will die from the disease;
 
Whereas 1 in 16 men and 1 in 17 women in the United States will develop lung cancer during their lifetimes;
 
Whereas the rate of lung cancer diagnosis in women in the United States has increased by 79 percent over the past 44 years, each year more women die from lung cancer than breast cancer, and, by 2035, it is estimated that more women will die from lung cancer than men;
 
Whereas disparities in lung cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and mortality are well-documented, and Black men have the highest incidence of lung cancer and the highest mortality rate from lung cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the United States;
 
Whereas, in 2022, lung cancer in individuals who have never smoked is estimated to account for 20,700 deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society;
 
Whereas women who have never smoked are more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer than men who have never smoked;
 
Whereas, in the United States, the proportion of lung cancers diagnosed in individuals who have never smoked is increasing;
 
Whereas the 5-year survival rate for localized lung cancer is 61 percent, yet only 19 percent of lung cancers are diagnosed at this stage, while a majority of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at the distant stage, for which the 5-year survival rate is 7 percent;
 
Whereas screening individuals at high risk of lung cancer using low-dose computed tomography can detect lung cancer earlier than other forms of screening and ultimately save lives;
 
Whereas over 1,000,000 veterans are eligible for lung cancer screening, but less than 3 percent undergo lung cancer screening by low-dose computed tomography;
 
Whereas lung cancer screening can effectively reduce lung cancer mortality, but, annually, only 4.5 percent of individuals in the United States at risk for lung cancer undergo lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography;
 
Whereas current lung cancer screening guidelines help identify cancer early for individuals at high risk of lung cancer, leading to a higher likelihood of successful treatment, but can preclude screening for individuals who develop lung cancer, including individuals who have never smoked but have other risk factors, such as family history of lung cancer, exposure to secondhand smoke, or exposure to radon, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer; and
 
Whereas educational efforts can increase awareness of lung cancer and lung cancer screening among the general public, patients and their families, and health care workers, thereby increasing the early detection of lung cancer: Now, therefore, be it
 
Resolved, That the Senate—
 
(1) designates November 2022 as “National Lung Cancer Awareness Month”;
(2) supports the purposes and ideals of National Lung Cancer Awareness Month;
(3) promotes efforts to increase awareness of, and education about, lung cancer among individuals in the United States;
(4) champions efforts to increase lung cancer screening by raising awareness among, and improving access for, individuals who are eligible for lung cancer screening;
(5) recognizes the need for research on the early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer; and
(6) encourages the people of the United States to observe National Lung Cancer Awareness Month with appropriate awareness and educational activities.
 
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• November 2021: Senate Passes Rubio, Smith Resolution to Recognize November as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month