World Lung Cancer Day Aims to Raise Awareness Around Critical Screenings

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 236,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year and 130,000 will die of the disease. Lung cancer is far and away the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, making up almost a quarter of all cancer deaths. That’s more than colon, breast and prostate cancers combined.

World Lung Cancer Day is an annual observance that began Aug. 1, 2012, as a way to promote lung cancer awareness and overall lung health. It’s a necessary way to inform the public on risk factors that may lead to lung disease, especially smoking. We asked Dr. Lary Robinson, a thoracic surgeon at Moffitt Cancer Center, and Haley Tolbert, the coordinator for Moffitt's LATTE Education Program, some of the most frequently asked questions about lung cancer and what we’re doing here at Moffitt to increase awareness about lung cancer screenings.