TOP NEWS
Thank You to Our Lung Health Champions!
During our third Respiratory Advocacy Day last week, our Lung Health Champions travelled from across the country to Washington, D.C., to share their personal stories with members of Congress and advocate for critical healthcare priorities. Recent national events—deep funding and staff cuts to Medicaid and other federal health programs, ongoing smoke from wildfires and much more—have highlighted the urgent challenges of individuals living with asthma, COPD and other chronic diseases. During the meetings, our Lung Health Champions urged Congress to:
- Co-sponsor the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act to improve Medicare beneficiaries’ access to supplemental oxygen.
- Extend healthcare tax credits to ensure millions can continue to afford their healthcare coverage.
- Protect robust, predictable and sustained investments for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve our nation’s health.
You can help support our Lung Health Champions, by asking Congress to:
Biomarker Testing: Improving Access and Understanding
For people with lung cancer, biomarker testing and targeted therapies can improve treatment outcomes, reduce side effects and help them live longer. However, not enough people diagnosed with lung cancer know about and/or are getting biomarker testing. To help improve awareness and access, the American Lung Association is expanding its Biomarker Education and Awareness for Testing (BEAT) Lung Cancer initiative, with a particular emphasis on communities bearing the highest lung cancer burden. Also known as molecular or genomic testing, biomarker testing analyzes a tumor’s DNA and specific protein levels to help identify targeted treatment options. When doctors understand what is driving the tumor growth, patients may be eligible for therapies that can shrink the tumor or slow its progression. Watch Dr. Sydney Barned's story to learn more.
What is your experience with lung cancer and biomarker testing? Take our survey.
Full-page Op-ed Highlights the Lifesaving Impact of Lung Cancer Screening
A recent Chicago Sun-Times op-ed by American Lung Association president and CEO Harold Wimmer (placed as part of our long-time partnership with the Ad Council), highlights the lifesaving impact of low-dose CT scans for early lung cancer detection. In the article, Wimmer notes that while lung cancer is the nation’s leading cancer killer, too few high-risk individuals are screened, even though the test is quick, painless and usually covered by insurance. He urges eligible current and former smokers to visit SavedByTheScan.org to see if they qualify and take a proactive step toward protecting their health.
Matt Pierce Receives C. Everett Koop Unsung Heroes Award
We recently awarded the 2025 C. Everett Koop Unsung Heroes Award to Matt Pierce, senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Pierce leads the Foundation’s commercial tobacco control portfolio. Under his thoughtful and strategic leadership, the Foundation has elevated equity-centered approaches and advanced policy change aimed at reducing tobacco-related health impacts on communities across the country. Our C. Everett Koop Unsung Hero Award recognizes individuals who have made significant, behind-the-scenes contributions to advancing public health through commercial tobacco control efforts. Read more.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Run, Bike or Walk to Support Lung Health
You can support the American Lung Association at one of our signature events held at iconic locations throughout the United States. Find an event near you:
RESEARCH
Massachusetts Researcher Awarded Inaugural Grant to Study Community Air Pollution Exposure and COPD
The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and the American Lung Association have awarded the inaugural CHEST/ALA Guideline Implementation Research Grant for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Management to Crystal M. North, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. North is studying the role of educational interventions in eliminating air pollution exposure among individuals at risk for COPD. The two-year, $120,000 grant was created in commemoration of the American Lung Association’s 120th anniversary, honoring the organization’s long-standing legacy of advancing lung health through science-based public health and clinical interventions. Read more.
Spotlight on Published Research
Building upon previous support from the American Lung Association, Andrea Pappalardo, MD, of the University of Illinois, was recently published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The research study explored how to better help rural schools manage asthma, especially through stock rescue inhalers. Focus groups with rural school partners highlighted the need to raise awareness, build community trust, and tailor communication to local needs. While barriers like limited staff and liability concerns remain, strategies such as working with community health champions and sharing personal stories can make a difference. This work aims to ensure children in rural schools have better access to lifesaving asthma care.
To learn more about our ongoing commitment to lifesaving science, visit: Lung.org/research.
Lung Association Presents 37 Research Abstracts at NCTOH
Lung Association staff members recently presented 37 research abstracts —29 posters, four individual presentations and four panel presentations — at the 2025 National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) in Chicago. The conference brings together a diverse community of public health experts to explore the latest evidence and best practices in tobacco policies, advocacy and programs; discover innovative ways to improve tobacco control efforts; renew energy and commitment to advancing tobacco control goals; and build valuable network opportunities.
YOUR HEALTH
Think Fungus, Save Lives
September 15 begins Fungal Disease Awareness Week. Fungal pneumonias – Valley Fever, histoplasmosis and blastomycosis – are often misdiagnosed. If you are diagnosed with pneumonia and put on antibiotics but don’t get better, talk to your healthcare provider about diagnostic testing for fungal diseases which require antifungals, not antibiotics, to treat them.
You can learn more by reading the Each Breath blog: Avoiding Diseases from the Dirt.
ADVOCACY
New Letter to EPA in Support of Clean Heat
Following the recent release of our “Clean Heat, Clean Air” report, we’re keeping up a drumbeat of support for cleaning up manufacturing facilities to improve public health. On Friday, August 22, we finalized a letter from 10 national health organizations urging the EPA to take steps to clean up industrial heat.
We need your support: Take action and tell your Governor we need to clean up industrial pollution.
Cuts to Healthcare and Clean Air Programs are Coming: How to Prepare
On July 4, 2025, a bill that the Lung Association strongly opposed (officially named the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) was signed into law. Provisions of this law will begin to take effect at various points over the coming weeks, months and years, gutting funds which were allocated for healthcare and clean air programs for Americans. Our new blog explains some key changes to expect and what you can do to protect your access to healthcare and clean air. Read more.
EACH BREATH BLOG
How Early Screening and Affordable Care Saved My Life
Carla had smoked for many years and had finally successfully quit tobacco when her healthcare provider recommended a low-dose CT scan. Carla had no lung cancer symptoms, and her previous blood work and physical exam had been normal, but her doctor wanted a baseline scan, just in case. It was a decision that saved her life. Read more.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
For over 120 years, we’ve been dedicated to making a difference and saving lives. Our efforts impact the more than 35 million people living in the United States with chronic lung disease, and millions more through our pioneering model of education, advocacy and research. Thank you for all you do to help us all breathe more easily! Visit Lung.org/get-involved to learn more about how you can make a difference.
Blog last updated: September 15, 2025
