HJAR Sep/Oct 2024

46 SEP / OCT 2024 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS DIALOGUE COLUMN ONCOLOGY THE DAYS when magazines and TV screens were filled with ads touting the glamour and fictional health benefits of tobacco products are long gone. Yet, even in 2024, America still faces a persistent smoking problem. Sadly, Arkansas is no exception. Every day, one in fiveArkansans — compared to one in ten na- tionwide — inhales carcinogens, unwittingly heightening their lung cancer risk. Fortunately, smoking rates are steadily declining, thanks to persistent awareness- building initiatives, many spearheaded by public and community-based healthcare organizations. As providers, we now have a unique opportunity and responsibility to build on these efforts, empowering even more Arkansans to quit smoking and using tobacco products. As the National Cancer Institute states, the public must understand there is “no safe level of smoking” and “no safe tobacco product.” While advocating for tobacco cessation, we must also ensure that at-risk patients have access to proven early detection tools that will safeguard their long-term health and, by extension, their quality of life. The good news is that mounting scientific evidence supports our case to patients — both for cessation and annual lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scans. BREATHING NEW L I FE INTO THE FIGHT AGAINST LUNG CANCER: A Two-Pronged, Patient-Centered Approach Can Deliver Lifesaving Results