World Lung Cancer Day
Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S. and causes more deaths than any other cancer.
World Lung Cancer Day is observed every year to raise awareness about the importance of preventing lung cancer and to support ongoing research efforts that may one day lead to new, effective treatments for lung cancer.
In honor of World Lung Cancer Day, we would like to share and highlight the benefits of home care and hospice services for patients living with lung cancer.
What Is World Lung Cancer Day?
World Lung Cancer Day occurs every year on August 1. Since its inception in 2012, healthcare providers around the globe have devoted their time on August 1 to sharing important facts and statistics about lung cancer, and to encouraging people to receive early screening for this disease.
How Can Healthcare Professionals Promote World Lung Cancer Day?
There are several steps you can take as a medical professional to raise awareness surrounding World Lung Cancer Day.
Talk to Patients About Lung Cancer Risk Factors
Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer, as nearly nine in 10 lung cancer cases are caused by smoking cigarettes. If your patients smoke, tell them about the many effective treatments for smoking cessation, such as medications and nicotine replacement. Other lung cancer risk factors are exposure to radon and secondhand smoke.
Educate About Lung Cancer Screening
Patients at high risk for lung cancer can now undergo a low-dose CT scan that can detect early disease. High-risk patients for lung cancer are between 50 to 80 years old, have a 20-pack-year history of smoking (the equivalent of smoking one pack/day for 20 years), are current smokers, or have quit smoking at some point within the last 15 years. Tell any patients who meet these risk factors about the importance of lung cancer screening and encourage them to make an appointment.
Contact Your Elected Officials
The American Lung Association recommends personally contacting your elected officials in Congress and asking them to support additional lung cancer-related research. Government-funded medical studies can pave the way for future cures and treatments for lung cancer that can potentially save thousands of lives per year.
The Importance of Lung Cancer Home Health and Hospice Care
Another important step you can take to promote World Lung Cancer Day is to refer qualifying lung cancer patients to home health and hospice care.
Lung cancer patients in recovery or remission may benefit greatly from home health services. Home health can help patients live more comfortably with their condition while receiving quality care in the privacy of their own homes. Home health can significantly improve the quality of life of patients who are living with lung cancer.
Patients with terminal lung cancer may benefit from hospice care services that focus on reducing symptoms of end-stage lung cancer. Hospice care allows patients to spend more quality time with their loved ones and make final arrangements as desired.
How to Find High-Quality Home Health and Hospice Services
We understand how overwhelming it can be for patients to navigate and choose a quality home health and hospice care provider. As a healthcare professional, you can ease this burden by referring your patients to our team and guiding them through their transition of care.
Contact us today to speak with one of our representatives to learn more about our many services.
Resources
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/statistics/index.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/resources/features/lungcancer/index.htm
https://www.lung.org/lung-force/about-lung-force/featured-campaigns/world-lung-cancer-day
