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Georgia |
Lung Cancer Alliance-Georgia's Commitment to Improving Failing Grades
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Number of Deaths |
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F |
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Unacceptable. Lung cancer is the number one
cause of cancer death among Georgian men and
women. This year alone, 6,260 Georgians will be
diagnosed-4,970 will die from the disease. That is
30% of all cancer deaths in the state. It kills one
and a half times more Georgian women than
breast cancer, almost three times more Georgian
men than prostate cancer. In fact, lung cancer
rates are 21% higher among Georgian men than
among US men overall.
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Five-Year-Survival-Rate |
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F |
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No progress. Lung
cancer is the only major cancer with virtually no improvement
in survival for nearly 40 years. Its 5-year survival
rate has hovered at 15%, with most succumbing to the
disease within the first year of diagnosis. Conversely,
breast cancer's 5-year survival rate now stands at over
88% and prostate cancer is over 99%. |
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Number of Late-Stage Diagnoses |
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F |
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Must improve. Lung cancer is woefully underfunded
and under-researched, relative to its
Georgia public health impact. Georgia's share
of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) is just
under $5 billion over 25 years. Thus far, almost
none of the MSA funds have been provided to
lung cancer research and early detection. |
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Newly-Addicted Youth Smokers |
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F |
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Shameful. 15,600 new Georgian "daily" smokers
under age 18 get addicted each year. 17.8 million
packs of cigarettes are bought or smoked by
youth in Georgia each year. 21% of high school
students smoke cigarettes. |
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State-Supported Early
Detection Program |
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F |
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Dismal. Over 70% of lung cancer diagnoses are
late stage when it is not curable. Neither the State
of Georgia, nor the federal government, supports
or funds the early detection of lung cancer. |
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State Cancer Plan Commitment |
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F |
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Promising but needs improvement. The State
Cancer Plan currently lacks commitment to lung
cancer. This omission must be corrected. |
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*MSA - Master Settlement Agreement. Agreement between
state attorneys general and major tobacco product manufacturers
to reimburse states for the cost of treating smoking-related
illnesses, totaling $206 billion to be paid to states
over 25 years starting in 1998.
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