A new report by the American Lung Association shows lung cancer patients in Connecticut and New York are among the earliest to be diagnosed and have some of the best survival rates in the country.
New York has the highest five-year survival rate in the country at 24 percent. Connecticut has the second with a 23.8 percent survival rate.
Connecticut also has the third highest rate of early diagnosis of lung cancer with an average of 22 percent. In New York, it’s 21 percent.
Ruth Canovi, the director of public policy for the American Lung Association in Connecticut, says, “We want to recognize that the Connecticut medical community has made some great strides and is doing well in comparison to where we’re at in the country, but we really think there’s a lot more that can be done.“
Canovi says stronger state policies can help limit exposure to risk factors like unhealthy air, secondhand smoke, tobacco products and radon.
The report shows that nationally more than 234,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer this year.
