In support of World Lung Cancer Day on August 1, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) stresses the importance of symptom awareness and early detection to diagnose and treat lung cancer.

While lung cancer is not the most prevalent cancer (second to breast cancer), it is the most common cause of cancer death. With more than 2.2 million new cases of lung cancer in 2020 and 1.80 million deaths, globally, lung cancer is responsible for 1 in 4 cancer deaths. According to the World Health Organization, lung cancer kills more people yearly than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.

“World Lung Cancer Day is an opportunity for all members of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies to collectively increase awareness of symptoms and the use of screening not only for lung cancer, but for lung health generally, as well as to highlight smoking as a major risk for disease,” says FIRS President Professor Heather Zar. “Avoiding smoking and smoke exposure is key to reduce illness from lung cancer and other lung diseases. Knowing the early signs of lung cancer and using appropriate screening is key for early detection, to reduce illness and mortality.”

To recognize lung cancer earlier, it is crucial to be aware of the symptoms. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are:

• A cough that does not go away or gets worse
• Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm)
• Chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
• Hoarseness
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling tired or weak
• Recurring infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia
• New onset of wheezing

In addition to knowing the signs of lung cancer, equitable access to screening options worldwide is vital for reducing lung cancer deaths through early detection and treatment.

To identify and diagnose lung cancer in its earlier stages, it is recommended to seek lung cancer screening with a low-dose tomography (also known as low-dose CT or LDCT) where available. If the individual is an eligible smoker or a former smoker, lung cancer screening is recommended even if they are not experiencing any signs or symptoms.

Resources:

The Global Impact of Respiratory Disease report outlines major causes of respiratory disease, including lung cancer, and lays out recommendations for global action.

A complete list of recommended guidelines for lung cancer screening, “Screening for Lung Cancer CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report,” can be read through the journal CHEST^®.

About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally. The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000 members globally.

FIRS comprises the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latino Americana De Tórax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).

World Lung Day, 25 September, is a day for lung health advocacy and action. Join us to promote better lung health globally.

Lung Health For All

The COVID pandemic has highlighted stark inequalities in lung health, so our theme this year is Lung Health for All. We will look at what can be done to close those gaps, focussing on: 

• The global burden of the major respiratory diseases and the impact of COVID, with a focus on lower and middle income countries
• The importance of early detection and screening
• Reducing inequalities in screening, diagnosis and treatment of chronic lung conditions

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The new FIRS/WHO webinar series: Respiratory disease in the era of COVID – a global perspective

We had a great response to the inaugural FIRS/WHO World Lung Day webinar series launched on 22 September.

FIRS and WHO gathered experts from around the world to discuss the burden of respiratory diseases globally, what can be done to combat respiratory disease in the era of COVID, and how we can address unequal access to prevention and treatment in lower and middle-income countries.

Join us! Become a World Lung Day partner

If you haven't joined yet, sign up as a WLD partner by emailing fiona.salter@firsnet.org

All our partners are included on our partners page. 

Please help us raise the profile of World Lung Day by sharing the 'Save the Date' graphic on your channels.
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Don't forget your 'Proud to be a World Lung Day Partner' graphic, add your own logo to the circle and share on social media. 
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Healthy Lungs for Life events around the world - winners announced!

For 2022 FIRS has joined European Lung Foundation (ELF) Healthy Lungs for Life public awareness campaign to highlight the importance of lung health through a range of events, projects and promotional activities - this year with a focus on lower and middle income countries and on climate change. 

We will be showcasing local, regional and national public education activities around World Lung Day. Share a picture of your event or video and show others that you support #WorldLungDay

• Find out more about the grants scheme
• Read about previous events

World Lung Day Editorials

Read expert insights.

American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. Mark Cohen, Stephanie M. Levine, Heather J. Zar World Lung Day: impact of “the big 5 lung diseases” in the context of COVID-19 

FIRS Lung Health Fact Sheet a brief guide to the impact of the 'big five' respiratory diseases.

The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Lung Health for All: Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease and World Lung Day 2022. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).

Be the Change: Advancing Lung Health and Closing the Global Healthcare Gap Gregory P. Downey, M. Patricia Rivera, Lynn Schnapp, Irina Petrache, Jesse Roman, and Karen Collishaw.

Respirar  World Lung Day 2022—Lung health for all by Dr David CL Lam, President of the APSR, the first of six articles in a special issue of Respirology published in support of World Lung Day 2022. 

Erase-TB London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine news round-up for World Lung Day

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We look forward to seeing how you are celebrating World Lung Day. Whatever you're doing share it with us on:
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• Download the World Lung Day 'Save the Date' graphic.
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• Download the World Lung Day Facebook profile image.
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• Use #WorldLungDay in your posts

• World Lung Day social cards are also available in these languages:

  Celebrate World Lung Day in Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese

  Early detection saves lives in Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese

  Get the right care and support in Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese

  Reduce inequalities in treatment in Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese

We would like to thank all the wonderful organisations who have pledged to support World Lung Day (WLD) this year.

Want to join us? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and find out about becoming a World Lung Day partner. 

JULY 1, 2022 – In support of the first World Bronchiectasis Day, July 1, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies, is joining the COPD Foundation and several global organizations in raising awareness and sharing information about this lesser-known lung disease.

Bronchiectasis is a lung disease that affects hundreds of thousands of children and adults worldwide. In this illness the airways become enlarged or scarred, making it difficult to clear mucus properly, leading to recurring lung infections. Symptoms include frequent coughing (often with thick, discolored mucus), sputum production, breathlessness, repeat chest infections, increased tiredness, unexplained fever, chills, sweats and weight loss, and chest pain.

Bronchiectasis is often misdiagnosed as pneumonia, but it is a chronic illness and one that places a burden on patients and their families. It can lead to impaired lung function, long-term disability, and premature death.  While bronchiectasis is often referred to as a rare disease, it is common in low and middle-income countries and prevalence is increasing globally.  In children, especially those in poor communities, bronchiectasis may occur following a lower respiratory tract infection, such as whooping cough or adenovirus infection, or pneumonia. Prevention of respiratory infections by immunization, promotion of good nutrition and reduction of exposure to smoke and other harmful particulates can help prevent bronchiectasis. Although there is currently no cure, detecting and treating bronchiectasis early can improve quality of life and improve long term health.

To be recognized annually on July 1, World Bronchiectasis Day aims to raise global awareness of the disease and help those diagnosed with it and others who may be vulnerable, through education, advocacy, and a global conversation focused on reducing the burden of bronchiectasis for patients and their families worldwide.

"By participating in World Bronchiectasis Day, partners are helping to increase global awareness of this disease, which significantly impacts patients and their families,” said Ruth Tal-Singer, President & CEO of the COPD Foundation and World Bronchiectasis Day founding partner.  “Although there is currently no cure for bronchiectasis, proper disease management, global education, and advocacy can reduce the burden on patients and help to identify others who are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.”

“I’m proud of the FIRS involvement in raising awareness for bronchiectasis. This is something I work with every day, but it’s not one of the more common lung diseases. Because it is lesser known, patients often experience delays in diagnosis when they present with symptoms,” said Doreen J. Addrizzo-Harris, MD, FCCP, President-Elect for the American College of Chest Physicians, Professor of Medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of the NYU Bronchiectasis and NTM Program. “With increased awareness comes quicker diagnoses and dedicated research which can lead to better treatment options and improved patient care.”

Living with bronchiectasis can be an isolating experience, as a member of the European Lung Foundation’s Bronchiectasis Patient Advisory Group explains: “Almost everyone knows what asthma is but to explain bronchiectasis is not that easy – so I normally never do that and just say I have a lung disease. It was really difficult to find a lung physician who had real knowledge of bronchiectasis.” Annette Posthumus, the Netherlands.

This year’s World Bronchiectasis Day will focus on raising awareness for the disease, with the following years focusing on treatment and the search for a cure.

About the Forum of International Respiratory Societies
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is an organisation comprised of the world's leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally. The goal of FIRS is to unify and enhance efforts to improve lung health through the combined work of its more than 70,000 members globally.

FIRS comprises the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR), Asociación Latino Americana De Tórax (ALAT), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union), Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS), the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD).

About World Bronchiectasis Day
World Bronchiectasis Day, July 1, 2022, aims to raise global awareness of bronchiectasis and help those with the disease and others yet to be diagnosed through education, advocacy, and a global conversation focused on reducing the burden of bronchiectasis for patients and their families worldwide. www.worldbronchiectasisday.org.

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