HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-11-01 Proclamation - Lung Cancer Awareness MonthOffice of the Mayor
City of Tukwila, Washington
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States,
accounting for more deaths than colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer combined;
WHEREAS, the 5-year survival rate for localized lung cancer is 60%, yet only 24% of lung cancers are
diagnosed at this stage;
WHEREAS, screening for lung cancer for high -risk individuals using low -dose computed tomography can
lead to the earlier detection of lung cancer and save lives, reducing the mortality by 20% when compared
to screening by chest x-ray in the National Lung Screening Trial and reducing the risk of death at 10 years
by 24% in men and 33% in women as demonstrated by another large, randomized trial;
WHEREAS, funding for lung cancer research trails far behind funding for research of many other cancers,
and additional research is needed in early diagnosis, screening, and treatment for lung cancer as well as in
lung cancer affecting women and lung cancer health disparities;
WHEREAS, lung cancer incidence is decreasing twice as fast in men as it is in women, each year more
women die from lung cancer than breast cancer and by 2035, more women will die from lung cancer than
men;
WHEREAS, lung cancer in individuals who never smoked is the 7th leading cause of cancer -related death
and accounts for 17,000-26,000 deaths in the US every year, 60-70% of individuals diagnosed with lung
cancer who never smoked are women, and the proportion of lung cancers diagnosed in people who never
smoked is increasing in the US;
WHEREAS, the stigma surrounding lung cancer creates barriers to early diagnosis, treatment, and funding
for research, has a detrimental impact on the quality of life of people diagnosed with lung cancer, and
hinders awareness of and research into lung cancer risk factors other than smoking;
WHEREAS, lung cancer research is leading to breakthroughs in the identification of genetic alterations
associated with lung cancer and in the development of lung cancer treatments, including
immunotherapies and targeted therapies;
NOW THEREFORE, I, Allan Ekberg, Mayor of the City of Tukwila, do hereby proclaim November, 2023 as:
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
in the City of Tukwila and encourage all community members to learn about lung cancer and early
detection through lung cancer screening.
Presented this first day of November, 2023.
Allan Ekberg, M