IPLAN Community Health Committee
Chronic Disease Task Force
Health Problem: Lung Cancer
Population Affected: Adult men and women
Rationale: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in
both men and women throughout the country and the fifth leading cause of deaths
for DuPage County and Illinois in 1996. Nation wide lung cancer accounts for 33%
of the cancer deaths in men and 23% in women. Health care costs can be
staggering due to lung cancer and its related problems, quality of life becomes
poor and loss of functional independence ultimately impacts families and
communities. The American Heart Association reports that smoking related
illnesses cost the US approximately $50 billion annually in medical care. Lung
cancer is one of the few cancers that is preventable. It is now known that 95%
of all lung cancer deaths are due to smoking tobacco (erinet.com/fnadoc/lung.htm).
In a 1998 report by the American Cancer Society and additional 3,000 deaths will
occur among nonsmokers due to the exposure to second hand smoke (American Cancer
Society).
In Illinois, deaths from lung cancer per 100,000 population have increased from
46.7 to 59.3 or 27% from 1980 to 1994. In DuPage County the deaths per 100,000
have increased from 27.3 to 40.0 or 46% for the same time period. According to
the American Lung Association, 561 DuPage residents were diagnosed with lung
cancer in 1994. The Illinois Department of Public Health reports that DuPage
mortality percents have remained stable at an average of 6.8% from 1994-1996,
representing 343 persons.
Of DuPage County's 1996 Community Health Assessment Survey (CHAS) adult
respondents, 22.7% reported being current smokers, which is well above the
Healthy People 2000 objective (15%). CHAS also reports that 35% of respondents
with less than a high school education and 31% of those with a high school
education are smokers. The Healthy People 2000 goal for these smokers is 20%.
When it comes to children smoking, 6.4% of DuPage children smoke according to
CHAS. However this percent is likely to be underestimated due to proxies lack of
knowledge of children's smoking habits. By age, 5% of 14-15 year olds, and 21%
of 16-17 year olds smoke. Healthy People 2000's objective for child and
adolescent smoking is 15%. DuPage adults with at least one smoker in the
household reported an average of 3 hours of exposure to second hand smoke.
Children in these households are exposed to an average of 1.1 hours. Recent
community and state legislation to limit smoking in public areas, increased
penalties for businesses found selling tobacco to minors and the national effort
to minimize marketing of tobacco smoking to minorities and minors are
anticipated to have a further impact on deterring smoking. Results from the
DuPage County Town Hall Meetings of 1997 and 1998 reflect multiple requests to
address this problem.
The Chronic Disease Task Force recognizes lung cancer as a threat to the health
of our community and select, diverse groups. The cause of lung cancer deaths is
known and is preventable. Current methodologies are in place to address this
problem, a focused effort can have a demonstrable impact on a disease that
impacts our community.
SOURCES:
IPLAN Summary Report, 1990
American Cancer Society
www.erinet.com/fnadoc/lung.htm
Healthy People 2000 Review, 1997
Long term cancer patient survival in the United States., Wingo PA, Ries LA,
Parker SL, Heath CW Jr. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 7(4):271-82 1998
www3.cancer.org/cancerinfo/main_cont.asp?st=pr&ct=26
DuPage County's 1996 Community Health Assessment Survey
American Heart Association, 1994
IPLAN COMMUNITY HEALTH COMMITTEE
CHRONIC DISEASE TASK FORCE
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