WHEREAS, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in North Carolina and the United States; and
WHEREAS, lung cancer takes the lives of more North Carolinians each year than breast, prostate, colon, and liver cancers combined, according to the American Cancer Society; and
WHEREAS, an estimated 8,470 people in North Carolina will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020, and 5,020 are expected to die from the disease this year; and
WHEREAS, regardless of smoking history, a person’s chance of developing lung cancer is about 1 in 15 for men and 1 in 17 for women; men and women who smoke are 15 to 30 times more likely to develop lung cancer or die from lung cancer than non-smokers; and
WHEREAS, according to the National Cancer Institute, the 5-year survival rate for all people with all types of lung cancer is less than 19 percent; and
WHEREAS, early lung cancer diagnosis and management protocols exist, but have not yet been embraced as the standard of care; and
WHEREAS, reports suggest that funding for lung cancer research falls short of that for other less-fatal diseases; and
WHEREAS, it is important that all North Carolinians commit to learn more about lung cancer and work to make lung cancer education a public health priority in our communities; and
WHEREAS, by recognizing Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the State of North Carolina demonstrates its dedication to patient support and advocacy for people living with lung cancer and those at risk for the disease;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim November, 2020, as “LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.