Recognizing Lung Cancer Awareness Month: Meet Keith
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with an estimated 2.4 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths in 2022.1 Despite advances in treatment and earlier detection, survival rates remained low in 2024, with only about 25% of patients in the United States living five years beyond diagnosis.2 For many, like Keith Perry, that diagnosis is life-altering.
Keith, an avid triathlete, learned that his lung cancer would require removing his entire left lung. What could have marked the end of his active life instead became a new beginning. With determination and the support of his family, he fought through treatment to recovery, eventually returning to training for the races he once thought impossible. His journey is a powerful reminder of resilience and the urgent need for continued innovation in lung cancer research.
Watch Keith's story:
1 Bray F, Laversanne M, Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A. Global cancer statistics, 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024 May-Jun;74(3):229-263. doi:10.3322/caac.21834
2 Siegel RL, Giaquinto AN, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2024. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024 Jan-Feb;74(1):12-49. doi: 10.3322/caac.21820.