Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness of the need for more research, innovation and better community awareness of this disease.

Know the Facts

Anyone can get lung cancer.

  • Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.1
  • More patients die every year from lung cancer than from prostate, breast and pancreatic cancers combined.2
  • The lung cancer five-year survival rate is 32% for non-small cell lung cancer and only 9% for small cell lung cancer.3
  • It is estimated that nearly 125,000 people will die from lung cancer in 2025.4
  • About 10-20% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers.5

But there’s good news. Lung cancer screening helps detect lung cancer earlier before symptoms occur when it is more treatable and possibly cured.

Who Should be Screened?

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends yearly lung cancer screening for people who:

  • Have a history of heavy smoking
  • Are between 50 and 80 years old5

To learn more about lung cancer screening criteria, visit UofLHealth.org/Services/Lung-Cancer-Screenings/

At UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center, we’re here to help no matter what stage of lung cancer you’re facing. We’re working to increase early detection, improve diagnostics, optimize treatment and accelerate recovery by providing our patients access to the most innovative technologies.

With technologies such as the Ion, we have been able to diagnose and treat lung nodules and lung cancer at a much earlier stage than traditional methods. Earlier detection means lives are saved.

Installed earlier this year, we’ve been able to diagnose and treat lung nodules and lung cancer at a much earlier stage than traditional methods with the Ion.

At UofL Health – Jewish Hospital and UofL Health – UofL Hospital, we were excited to be among the first to offer this innovative technology, which uses the latest advances in robotics and the least invasive approach to diagnose lung conditions. Lung cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence. We encourage the community to take an important step to be screened so that we can find and treat lung cancer before it progresses.

Together, we can spread awareness and bring hope to those affected by the disease. To learn more about lung cancer screening or find out if Ion is right for you, call the Brown Cancer Center Cancer Screening Program at 502-210-4497.


To learn more:

  1. World Health Organization
  2. American Cancer Society
  3. American Cancer Society
  4. American Cancer Society
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Article by: Goetz Kloecker, M.D., M.B.A., M.S.P.H.

Goetz Kloecker, M.D., M.B.A., M.S.P.H., is a professor of medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine Department of Medicine and director of the Medical Oncology/Hematology Fellowship Program. Dr. Kloecker has been a medical oncologist for more than two decades in thoracic oncology. He has been trained in Munich and Berlin, Germany. Dr. Kloecker received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Regensburg and went on to earn his medical degree from the Technical University of Munich. At the University of Louisville, Dr. Kloecker earned his master's degree in public health along with the completion of his fellowship in the department of Hematology/Oncology, and both internship and residency in Internal Medicine. He has been awarded UofL Professor of Clinical Excellence, a Kentucky Colonel, President of the Kentucky Society of Oncology and several teaching awards. His areas of interest include benign hematology, clinical trial and thoracic oncology. Dr. Kloecker specializes in cancer care, medical oncology and lung cancer. He has received American Board of Internal Medicine certifications in internal medicine, medical oncology, hematology and palliative care. "My goals are to prevent and cure lung cancer, help patients and families overcome lung cancer and make the most effective and best-tolerated therapy possible."

All posts by Goetz Kloecker, M.D., M.B.A., M.S.P.H.
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