Read time: 4 minutes.
Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer, and everyone with lungs can raise awareness this November for Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
LUNGevity has teamed up with the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI) to show that anyone and everyone can make a difference. ALCSI is a student-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 56 college chapters across the country, each dedicated to raising awareness about early lung cancer detection and lung cancer screening.
The LUNGevity-ALCSI partnership is bringing the message—anyone with lungs can get lung cancer—across the country.
LUNGevity is kicking off Lung Cancer Awareness Month by hosting Breathe Deep TOGETHER events and resource fairs on October 26 in Boston, New York City, and Washington DC, with the option for everyone to join in no matter where they’re located.
ALCSI chapters will be busy hosting their own Breathe Deep TOGETHER events, organizing weekly outreach events to teach community members about lung cancer screening, working with mayors and governors to issue proclamations and film PSAs about screening, and engaging in many other awareness-raising activities.
“This Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we are dedicated to showing everyone affected by lung cancer that they are not alone. There is immense support and unity within the lung cancer community! We aim to teach people that, with increases in early lung cancer detection through screening and advancements in lung cancer treatment and research, there is a lot of hope for patients with lung cancer,” says Priyanka Senthil, Executive Director of ALCSI and recent graduate of Rice University.
What Is the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI)?
Increasing awareness of and access to lung cancer screening among high-risk individuals is the primary goal of ALCSI. Most of its members are college students, and many are working towards a career in medicine. Their 56 college chapters are supported by an advisory committee of medical professionals at universities, clinics, and hospitals around the country.
“What people are often surprised to hear is that many of our student members don’t have a personal connection to lung cancer. But what they do have is a motivation to have a direct impact on someone else’s life through meaningful, 1-to-1 conversations,” says Priyanka.
These 1-to-1 conversations happen at health fairs, sporting events, libraries, food pantries, and yes, college campuses. They aren’t exclusively talking with people who are eligible for a lung cancer screening. They’re talking with everyone and asking if they, or someone they know like a parent, grandparent, or friend, may be eligible for a screening based on age and smoking history.
The US Preventive Services Task Force suggests annual lung cancer screenings for adults who:
- Are between 50-80 years old, and
- Have a 20-pack-year smoking history, and
- Currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years, and
- Have no symptoms of lung cancer (asymptomatic)
“So far in our pilot study, 38% of the people we’ve spoken with at events say they know someone who may be eligible for lung cancer screening. Of the individuals who say this, 84% are willing to share screening information with the person they know,” says Priyanka.
In 2023, ALCSI chapters attended a combined 245 outreach events and tracked more than 7,000 conversations. Those conversations helped people learn:
- If they are eligible to get screened
- Where they can get screened
- How to start a conversation about lung cancer screening with their doctor
- How to help family members and friends get screened
Visit the official American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative website to learn more about the impact these students are having on lung cancer screening and lung cancer awareness.