Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2026

About Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Lung cancer kills more Americans than any other cancer, a point made in every recent presidential proclamation for the month. Smoking is the leading cause, so the month is closely tied to quitting, but people who have never smoked can also get the disease. Patient groups use November to push for earlier diagnosis, wider access to new treatments and less stigma for anyone diagnosed.

Patient advocacy groups have run November awareness campaigns for years, and LUNGevity Foundation describes itself as leading the national observance, but primary sources don't clearly document who first chose the month or when. Official federal recognition is recent. President Joe Biden issued the first National Lung Cancer Awareness Month proclamation listed in the Federal Register in 2022, naming November, and repeated it in 2023 and 2024. The 2022 proclamation noted that lung cancer case and death rates had fallen sharply over three decades, largely thanks to lower smoking rates and better treatments such as immunotherapy, while rural communities and Black men still face higher risks.

Screening is a major theme. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends a yearly low-dose CT scan for adults 50 to 80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and either still smoke or quit within the past 15 years. Finding lung cancer early, before symptoms, makes it more likely that treatment will work, yet many eligible people have never been screened.

Sources: Federal Register: Proclamation 10489, National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, 2022, Federal Register: National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, 2024, US Preventive Services Task Force: Lung Cancer Screening, LUNGevity Foundation: LUNGevity leads 2025 Lung Cancer Awareness Month. How we check dates.

How to mark Lung Cancer Awareness Month

• If you smoke or used to, ask your doctor whether you qualify for a yearly low-dose CT lung screening.
• If you smoke, set a quit date this month and call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free counseling from your state's quitline.
• Test your home for radon, an invisible gas that can build up indoors, using a kit from a hardware store or your state radon program.
• Offer practical help to someone in lung cancer treatment, such as rides, meals or a regular check-in call.
• Join a local walk, run or fundraiser supporting lung cancer research or patient services.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month dates