Join Stand Up To Cancer and Troper Wojcicki Philanthropies during Lung Cancer
Awareness Month to raise awareness about symptoms and screening options for lung cancer.

Susan’s friend Hank Green recorded this personal message with her in mind, during lung cancer awareness month.  Please talk to your doctor for information on lung cancer statistics and screenings. 

The information presented in this video is provided by the individual featured and may not reflect the official policy or position of Stand Up To Cancer.

Susan Wojcicki touched countless lives as a Silicon Valley executive, helping pioneer some of the world’s most-used technologies, including Google and YouTube. In 2024, Susan passed at the age of 56 after living two years with non-small cell lung cancer – the most common type of lung cancer. Susan was a mother of five and a fierce advocate for the underrepresented, especially women. In her final years, she became deeply committed to lung cancer research.

Join Stand Up To Cancer and Troper Wojcicki Philanthropies in taking action against lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer deaths in American men and women. Whether you get yourself or a loved one screened or actively take steps to reduce your risk, one small step can lead to significant change.

Lung Cancer Information

• As the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., lung cancer accounts for about 1 in 5 cancer deaths annually. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.
• Lung cancer is also the most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide, with over 2.2 million new cases each year.
• While the largest risk factor for lung cancer is tobacco smoking, as many as 20% of people who die from lung cancer in the U.S. have never smoked. This number is increasing, and it also remains understudied.
•  Other risk factors include exposure to radon, secondhand smoke, air pollution, asbestos, diesel exhaust, or other chemicals.
• Amongst those who have never smoked, women are more than twice as likely to get lung cancer compared to men. Research has found that young women (under 55) are being diagnosed with lung cancer at higher rates than young men.
• Traditionally underserved populations are disproportionately impacted by lung cancer. Black and Hispanic Americans are less likely to receive certain kinds of lung cancer care, like surgery or genetic testing, and are less likely to survive five years after diagnosis compared to white Americans.
• Lung cancer 5-year survival rates have more than doubled in the last 50 years from 12% to 28%. This progress is in part driven by the development of immunotherapies and molecular therapies, which target important mutations in certain genes, such as EGFR or ALK.

Symptoms

• Because lung cancer typically does not produce noticeable symptoms, it is often not caught until it reaches an advanced stage.
• The most common symptoms include a persistent cough or coughing up blood; and chest pain that gets worse with breathing, coughing, or laughing.
• Other symptoms can include a hoarse voice, shortness of breath, wheezing, or pneumonia; or unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite or feeling tired or weak.

Screening Options

• Lung cancer screening may save your life if the cancer is found at an early stage when it is easier to treat.
• The majority of lung cancers detected with screening are early stage, when 63% of people live five years or longer after diagnosis.
• In contrast, when lung cancer is detected after distant spread, as is more typical in the absence of screening, the survival rate is dramatically worse, at 8%.
• Screening involves a test known as a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan, which only takes a few minutes and is often provided at no cost for those who meet these criteria:

• • Between 50 to 80 years old.
  • Have a 20-pack-year smoking history.
  • Currently, smoke or quit within the past 15 years.
    Note that the American Cancer Society now recommends screening for anyone with a significant smoking history regardless of when they last smoked.
  • However, if you don’t meet the criteria, speak to your healthcare professional about your lung cancer risk. LDCT screenings may not be provided by your insurance provider in this case.

Reducing Risk for Lung Cancer

• Consider the following to reduce your risk of lung cancer:
• • Stay away from tobacco.
  • Avoid breathing in other people’s smoke.
  • Reduce radon in your home if needed.
  • Avoid carcinogens like asbestos at home and at work by following relevant guidelines.
  • Know your family history of cancer and share the information with your health care provider.
  • Eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables.
• Genetic factors may also influence lung cancer risk. If you have family members that have been diagnosed with lung cancer, talk to your health care provider about how this may affect your risk.

For more information on lung cancer screening, click here.

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