We are proud to endorse and provide strong support for Katherine’s Lung Cancer Early Detection and Survival Act of 2021, introduced by our House Congressional Lung Cancer Caucus Chair Representative Brendan Boyle (D-2-PA) and co-champion Senator Tina Smith (D-MN).

Recognizing that too many lives are lost to lung cancer each day because lung cancer is often caught late stage, the bill will require insurance coverage for lung cancer screenings for any individual who has a high risk of lung cancer due to genetic, occupational, or other exposures, and who has a referral from a specialist, such as a pulmonary medicine physician, who can explain the benefits and harms of the screening to the individual

Our co-founder, president & CEO Laurie Fenton Ambrose, commented on the bill: ”We are thrilled to have contributed to the development of legislation that removes arbitrary screening limitations for the many people who remain at high risk for lung cancer – a long sought goal of GO2 for Lung Cancer.”

The development of Katherine’s Law was a thoughtful process, developed with input from leading medical experts in the field of lung cancer screening and treatment. The effort dovetails with GO2 for Lung Cancer’s legislation on Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services – an overarching three-pronged approach that calls for increased federal research funding, greater access to preventive services, and elevated national attention to lung cancer’s unique impact on women.

Katherine’s Law amplifies the second prong of our efforts by providing more specificity to the removal of barriers to access. It strengthens our overarching call to action to improve the lives of women at risk for and impacted by lung cancer, and places us on an accelerated path of achieving our goal of doubling lung cancer’s survival rates by 2025.

This is win-win for our community

As we know, Lung cancer remains the highest among the cancer deaths annually worldwide and in the United States. More than 131,880 Americans will die from lung cancer in 2021. Low dose CT screening is a life-saving benefit for early detection and treatment, which is why GO2 for Lung Cancer has made lung cancer screening central to our vision of doubling survival by 2025. Our efforts to instill responsible screening and care in a growing network of dedicated community hospitals across the country remains our highest priority.

GO2 for Lung Cancer remains committed to saving lives through improved screening and applauded the USPSTF’s recent lung cancer screening recommendation, which is similar to current NCCN Guidelines for screening. We also contributed language to Katherine’s Law to remove the arbitrary screening limitations that would halt screening for individuals who quit smoking more than 15 years ago and/or had passed the age of 80. Removing these screening eligibility requirements will reach an additional at-risk population with this life-saving resource.

We encourage all advocates to inform Congress about the importance of both pieces of legislation. It’s easy through our online portal. Share your story with your representatives and ask for their support on both Katherine’s Lung Cancer Early Detection and Survival Act of 2021 and Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2021.

Keep lung cancer legislation moving by acting today!