The American Lung Association this week issued a report that shows Nevada lacks basic resources to adequately screen for lung cancer, as reflected by a low screening rate. The 2023 “State of Lung Cancer” report finds that the state’s lung cancer screening rates are so low—at 1.4%—that the state is among the worst in the nation.
Much of Nevada’s lung cancer treatment data are not presented in the report, either—setting the state apart from other states.
Data for surgery, early diagnoses, new cases and survival are listed as “not available.” Those data, however, can help determine where the state can focus efforts in order to prevent and possibly treat lung cancer.
“Screening with annual low-dose CT scans can reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to 20% by detecting tumors at early stages when the cancer is more likely to be curable,” the report notes.
Nationally, only 4.5% of those at high risk were screened, and Nevada is 47 out of 51 in the country for lung cancer screening because of the 1.4% rate. The report reveals Nevada ranked 35 out of 51 in the nation for smoking rates at 15.5%, while the national rate of smokers is 13.5%.
The report also found that Nevada ranked 35th in the nation for smoking rates and 12th for radon testing.
“Nevada has a long way to go when it comes to prevention and screening for lung cancer,” said Cari Herington with the Nevada Cancer Coalition. “The data we have shows that. What we don’t know is how well we’re doing when it comes to treating people once they’re diagnosed—and that makes it difficult to see the whole picture of how lung cancer affects Nevadans.”
It’s not all bad, though. The “State of Lung Cancer” report found lung cancer survival rates are improving for everyone across the nation.
“Thankfully, nationally, the lung cancer survival rate has improved because of increased awareness, improved access to healthcare and cutting-edge research into new treatments for the disease,” said JoAnna Strother with ALA. “However, lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths here in Nevada and across the nation, and our recent report makes it clear that we have more work to do to focus [on] advancing treatment and surgical intervention.”
