AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION

LUNG CANCER, ASTHMA, LUNG DISEASE AND TOBACCO CONTROL: AS PART OF OUR MISSION, THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING AND IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THE MORE THAN 35 MILLION PEOPLE LIVING WITH LUNG DISEASE - A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES. WE DO THIS BY INVESTING IN RESEARCH; ADVOCATING FOR POLICIES AND LEGISLATION THAT CHAMPION CLEAN AIR, OPTIMAL CARE AND REDUCED ACCESS TO TOBACCO PRODUCTS; AND PROVIDING PROGRAMS, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO HELP INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH LUNG DISEASE AND THEIR FAMILIES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE THEIR DISEASE.IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE INVESTED $22 MILLION IN GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH, REINFORCING OUR ROLE AS ONE OF THE NATION'S LARGEST PRIVATE FUNDERS OF LUNG HEALTH STUDIES. WE EXPANDED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, AND DELIVERED TARGETED TOBACCO CESSATION INITIATIVES, INCLUDING EFFORTS TO PREVENT YOUTH TOBACCO USE AND SUPPORT CESSATION AMONG TEENS AND ADULTS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE ALSO CHAMPIONED CRITICAL HEALTHCARE AND CLEAN AIR PROTECTIONS - ADVOCATING FOR MEDICAID PRESERVATION, POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT LIMIT POLLUTION, AND FEDERAL FUNDING FOR LUNG DISEASE RESEARCH. IN MARCH, OUR LUNG FORCE HEROES TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON, DC, TO MEET WITH LAWMAKERS AND ADVOCATE FOR LIFESAVING COVERAGE AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY LUNG CANCER. IN NOVEMBER, WE RELEASED OUR 7TH ANNUAL "STATE OF LUNG CANCER" REPORT, HIGHLIGHTING A JUMP IN THE FIVE-YEAR LUNG CANCER SURVIVAL - TO 28.4%, AN INCREASE OF 52% OVER THE PAST DECADE. WHILE LUNG CANCER REMAINS THE DEADLIEST FORM OF CANCER, SIGNIFICANT ADVANCEMENTS IN TREATMENT AND CARE ARE HELPING PEOPLE TO LIVE LONGER AND HEALTHIER THAN EVER BEFORE. HINDERING PROGRESS, HOWEVER, ARE ONGOING GAPS IN THE RATES OF BIOMARKER TESTING - THE EVALUATION OF LUNG TUMOR TISSUE TO HELP DETERMINE AN INDIVIDUAL'S SPECIFIC TYPE OF LUNG CANCER, ALLOWING FOR PRECISE AND POTENTIALLY MORE SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT - AND LUNG CANCER SCREENING, AS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE REPORT. WE KNOW THAT IF LUNG CANCER IS CAUGHT BEFORE IT SPREADS, THE LIKELIHOOD OF SURVIVING FIVE YEARS OR MORE JUMPS TO 64%, AND THAT NEARLY ONE-QUARTER OF LUNG CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVE CHEMOTHERAPY OR RADIATION BEFORE UNDERGOING BIOMARKER TESTING. IN RESPONSE, WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES AIMED AT PROMOTING AWARENESS AND GREATER PARTICIPATION IN THESE LIFESAVING PROGRAMS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, WE LAUNCHED OUR BIOMARKER, EDUCATION, AWARENESS AND TESTING (BEAT) LUNG CANCER CAMPAIGN, AIMED AT PROMOTING THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF BIOMARKER TESTING THROUGH NEW WEBSITE RESOURCES, TARGETED ADVERTISING, AND EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS. WE ALSO WORKED WITH THE AD COUNCIL TO CREATE A NEW PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (PSA), "IF YOUR LUNGS COULD TALK," HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF LUNG CANCER SCREENING, ESPECIALLY AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH A HISTORY OF TOBACCO USE. THE CAMPAIGN RESULTED IN 649,000 VISITS TO OUR WEBSITE AND 250,000 COMPLETIONS OF OUR SAVED BY THE SCAN QUIZ TO DETERMINE SCREENING ELIGIBILITY. OF THE MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN OUR ONLINE QUIZ, 20% LEARNED THEY QUALIFY FOR LOW- OR NO-COST SCREENING. BECAUSE CLINICAL TRIALS CAN PLAY A CRITICAL, LIFESAVING ROLE IN ENSURING OPTIMAL LUNG CANCER TREATMENT AND CARE, WE LAUNCHED AN AWARENESS, TRUST AND ACTION PROGRAM TO SPECIFICALLY PROMOTE THE IMPORTANCE AND AVAILABILITY OF CLINICAL TRIALS AMONG HISPANIC LUNG CANCER PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS. HISPANIC INDIVIDUALS REPRESENT 19% OF THE POPULATION BUT JUST 6% OF CLINICAL TRIAL PARTICIPANTS. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT CLINICAL TRIALS, ADDRESS MISCONCEPTIONS, AND EMPOWER PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS TO ULTIMATELY IMPROVE LUNG CANCER CARE AND OUTCOMES. OUR NEW AND IMPROVED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THIS YEAR INCLUDED RESOURCES AND TOOLS FOR INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH COPD, ASTHMA, BRONCHIECTASIS, AUTOIMMUNE PULMONARY ALVEOLAR PROTEINOSIS, PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND PNEUMOCOCCAL PNEUMONIA. TO SUPPORT SCHOOL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, WE INTRODUCED A NEW GUIDE DESIGNED TO HELP THEM SECURE AND MAINTAIN FUNDING FOR EMERGENCY STOCK ASTHMA MEDICATION. WE ALSO LAUNCHED THE LUNG-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENTS FOR YOUTH INITIATIVE-AN ONLINE HUB PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES FOR ADDRESSING ASTHMA, TOBACCO, CLEAN AIR AND MORE IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. IN ADDITION, WE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT AND GROW OUR PATIENT AND CAREGIVER SUPPORT PROGRAMS. MEMBERSHIP IN OUR PATIENT & CAREGIVER NETWORK - A NATIONWIDE, ONLINE SUPPORT PROGRAM PROVIDING EDUCATION, TOOLS AND WELLNESS AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH LUNG DISEASE AND THEIR CAREGIVERS - GREW TO 18,048 MEMBERS IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, REPRESENTING ALL STATES AND PUERTO RICO, A 39% INCREASE. AND OUR 11 ONLINE SUPPORT COMMUNITIES NOW SERVE 253,697 MEMBERS NATIONWIDE, OFFERING A SAFE, WELCOMING SPACE FOR THOSE FACING LUNG CANCER, CHRONIC LUNG CONDITIONS OR TOBACCO CESSATION CHALLENGES.AS FALL APPROACHED, WE ENCOURAGED IMMUNIZATION AS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF SEVERE SYMPTOMS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS CAUSED BY RESPIRATORY VIRUSES - ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE MOST VULNERABLE, INCLUDING ADULTS 65 AND OLDER AND INDIVIDUALS WITH LUNG CONDITIONS OR OTHER CHRONIC ILLNESSES.OUR EFFORTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 INCLUDED NEW AND ONGOING CAMPAIGNS PROMOTING THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINES FOR THE PREVENTION OF INFLUENZA, OR THE FLU, RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS, OR RSV - IN ADULTS, BABIES AND YOUNG CHILDREN - AND COVID-19. OUR COMPREHENSIVE RSV IN BABIES CAMPAIGN - AIMED AT PARENTS AND SOON-TO-BE PARENTS ON HOW TO PROTECT INFANTS AND TODDLERS FROM RSV, THE LEADING CAUSE OF INFANT HOSPITALIZATION - REACHED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.DURING FLU SEASON, WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED TARGETED OUTREACH EFFORTS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH LOW INFLUENZA VACCINATION RATES - ARKANSAS, MISSISSIPPI, WEST VIRGINIA, MONTANA AND KENTUCKY - AND AMONG VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, INCLUDING HOMELESS AND LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS WITH TUBERCULOSIS IN GEORGIA.TOBACCO USE REMAINS THE LEADING CAUSE OF PREVENTABLE DEATH IN THIS COUNTRY. AND WHILE YOUTH TOBACCO USE HAS DECLINED TO THE LOWEST LEVEL IN 25 YEARS (WITH HELP FROM THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION'S RELENTLESS ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS EFFORTS), THE NUMBER OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO USE TOBACCO PRODUCTS - 2.25 MILLION - IS STILL TOO HIGH, AS TOBACCO COMPANIES USE AGGRESSIVE MARKETING TACTICS TO APPEAL TO AND ADDICT A NEW GENERATION. OUR 23RD "STATE OF TOBACCO CONTROL" REPORT HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF ONGOING FUNDING FOR TOBACCO PREVENTION AND YOUTH SMOKING PROGRAMS TO REDUCE DEATH AND DISEASE. IN THE SPRING OF 2025, WE FOLLOWED UP WITH A SECOND REPORT EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF DRAMATIC CUTS TO FEDERAL TOBACCO PROGRAMS.WHILE WE STRONGLY ADVOCATED FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THESE PROGRAMS, WE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT STATE AND LOCAL TOBACCO PREVENTION EFFORTS, HELPING INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO STOP SMOKING THROUGH OUR FREEDOM FROM SMOKING CLASSES AND LUNG HELPLINE AND DEVELOPING NEW PROGRAMS TO PREVENT AND REDUCE TOBACCO USE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, WE REMAINED COMMITTED TO EDUCATING TEACHERS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, CHILDREN, TEENS AND PARENTS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF VAPING AND TOBACCO. WITH THE AD COUNCIL, WE LAUNCHED A NEW YOUTH VAPING PREVENTION PUBLIC SERVICE CAMPAIGN, "YOU'RE THE BEST PERSON," PROVIDING A HUMOROUS LOOK AT WHY PARENTS ARE THE BEST PEOPLE TO TALK TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF VAPING. THE CAMPAIGN DROVE MORE THAN 330,000 PEOPLE TO OUR WEBSITE RESOURCES ON YOUTH VAPING. WE ALSO LAUNCHED A NEW YOUTH TOBACCO TREATMENT PLAN, A WORKSHEET AND REFERENCE TO HELP TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS BETTER UNDERSTAND TOBACCO-USE TRIGGERS, COPING STRATEGIES, THE BENEFITS OF QUITTING AND HOW TO GET HELP. MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR TOBACCO PREVENTION EFFORTS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE: ADULT CIGARETTE USE DROPPED FROM 14.0% IN 2019 TO 9.9% IN 2024, AND E-CIGARETTE USE AMONG MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DECLINED FROM 20.0% IN 2019 TO 5.9% IN 2024, A 71% REDUCTION.

RESEARCH: FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION HAS DRIVEN LUNG HEALTH ADVANCEMENTS AND INNOVATION BY SUPPORTING MEDICAL RESEARCH THAT IS HELPING PEOPLE WITH LUNG DISEASE LIVE LONGER, HEALTHIER LIVES. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE CONTINUED TO FUND HIGH-IMPACT, LIFESAVING RESEARCH, BRINGING TOGETHER THE BEST SCIENTIFIC MINDS TO ADDRESS CRITICAL LUNG HEALTH CHALLENGES. OUR GROWING RESEARCH INVESTMENT - $225 MILLION SINCE 2000 - HAS MADE US ONE OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE FUNDERS OF LUNG HEALTH RESEARCH IN THE UNITED STATES. IN SEPTEMBER, OUR RESEARCH AWARDS INCLUDED 139 GRANTS TO PROMISING AND ESTABLISHED SCIENTISTS WORKING ON SOLUTIONS AND TREATMENTS FOR A BROAD RANGE OF LUNG HEALTH CHALLENGES, INCLUDING THE LINK BETWEEN OBESITY AND SEVERE RESPIRATORY DISEASE, THE ROLE OF INFLAMMATION IN PULMONARY FIBROSIS, AND NEW TARGETED LUNG CANCER TREATMENTS. EACH YEAR, OUR RESEARCH INVESTMENT ALSO SUPPORTS OUR AIRWAYS CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTERS NETWORK, THE LARGEST NONPROFIT CLINICAL RESEARCH NETWORK PROVIDING ASTHMA AND COPD CLINICAL TRIALS AT PROMINENT ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS, AS WELL AS INNOVATIVE INDUSTRY AND NONPROFIT PARTNERSHIPS TO ACCELERATE DISCOVERY. THIS YEAR, WE PROVIDED A $200,000 AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE GRANT TO TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO STUDY A UNIVERSAL, ONE-TIME VACCINE. WE ALSO REACHED A CRITICAL MILESTONE IN OUR LUNG HEALTH COHORT RESEARCH STUDY - RECRUITING NEARLY 3,000 PARTICIPANTS FOR OUR PIONEERING PROJECT WHERE WE EXPECT TO FOLLOW HEALTHY ADULTS FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS, WITH THE GOAL OF IDENTIFYING RISK FACTORS FOR LUNG DISEASE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, WE ALSO CONTINUED TO SUPPORT AND FUND ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO ADVANCING RESEARCH. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THIS INCLUDED SPONSORING COPD INET IN BOSTON - HELD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE UNITED STATES - BRINGING TOGETHER 100 SCIENTISTS COMMITTED TO ADVANCING COPD RESEARCH FROM THE LABORATORY TO PATIENT TREATMENT AND CARE.