A new report is detailing the toll of lung cancer on Florida. Despite more awareness and screenings, Floridians are still not being diagnosed early enough with the disease and treatment is an issue too.
“You couldn’t even run, laugh, anything could actually make you cough and lose your breath. You couldn’t even sing out on top of your lungs,” said Irisaida Mendez. Lung cancer nearly claimed her life. She was given under two years to live back in 2018 and a new immunotherapy plan became her last resort. It worked.
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“When you dance around death, priorities shift,” she told NBC6. Those priorities for the mother of 4 and grandmother now include advocating for others.
The American Lung Association released a report card on the state of the disease. This year, like the rest of the country, lung cancer is the most lethal cancer in our state. The report also found Floridians are still not being diagnosed early enough with just 25 percent of cases being caught at an early stage.
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Florida Advocacy Director of the American Lung Association, Ashley Lyerly, told NBC 6 that “the common symptoms of lung cancer, unfortunately, can be associated with a common cold.” The annual report also found health disparities with black Floridians most likely to receive no treatment.
“We also know there's a significant stigma associated with lung cancer that many individuals who are in the black population, just have, you know, are predisposed to have chronic conditions, to have sort of anxiety related to the healthcare system, and so they may not seek treatment,” said Lyerly.
There is encouraging news, survival rates have improved 26% in the last five years thanks to advancements and research like the ones that kept Irisaida breathing and not just that, thriving.
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“I was actually climbing one year after my surgery, exactly at one year, I was already going up the building and the climb,” said Mendez.
As of September, Florida required some insurance plans to cover biomarker testing including for lung cancer which helps tailor a person’s treatment for the disease.
