Lung Cancer Report Exposes Disparities in Black Community Health

By Stacy M. Brown | The Washington Informer | Word In Black Credit: American Lung Association (WIB) – Nora P., a successful area entrepreneur, said he started smoking at the age of 9. More than 40 years later, in 2016 after Nora turned 54, he and his primary care physician decided to do a low dose CT scan of his lungs. Two years later, the doctor informed Nora about troubling spots found on the lower lobe of one of his lungs. About two weeks after finding the spots and refraining from smoking cigarettes and marijuana, Nora underwent surgery just five days before his 56th birthday. “Thank God that I was tested as I feel that my doctor saved my life,” said Nora, one of many stories shared by the American Lung Association.& Like others who shared their story, Nora didn’t disclose his last name. “If [the doctor] had not spoken to me about getting scanned, I wouldn’t have even thought about or known about it.” Nora said testing was scary, but determined that “knowledge is power,” he went through with the procedure. “Lung cancer is a silent killer,” Nora declared. “I believe everyone should get screened. Silence is a killer...