At Fox Chase Cancer Center, Brendan Boyle, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania’s Second Congressional District, joined clinicians, researchers, and advocates to highlight growing national momentum around lung cancer in women, an area receiving increased attention through the bipartisan Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act.
The legislation, co-led by Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican congressman representing Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District, focuses on expanding research, improving early detection, and increasing awareness of how lung cancer uniquely affects women.
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States,” Boyle said. “This effort is about changing that reality.”
A Changing Understanding of Lung Cancer
For many years, lung cancer was most often associated with smoking. Today, that understanding is evolving.
Physicians at Fox Chase and across Temple Health, are seeing more women diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked, often at younger ages and without traditional risk factors. That shift is reshaping how experts think about screening, prevention, and research.
“This is something we see every day in our clinics and operating rooms,” said Stacey Su, MD, FACS, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Fox Chase. “It’s changing how we think about risk, how we approach screening, and how we design research.”
Expanding Access to Early Detection
Early detection remains one of the most crucial factors in improving outcomes.
Through collaboration with the Temple Lung Center, Fox Chase is helping expand access to screening through the Temple Healthy Chest Initiative, a comprehensive program that brings prevention, detection, and follow-up care into a coordinated system.
Using low-dose CT scans, the program can identify lung cancer and other chest conditions at earlier, more treatable stages, while also connecting patients with nurse navigators who help guide them through care.
“Early detection changes everything,” Su said. “When we find lung cancer early, we have more options, and in many cases, the potential to cure.”
Where Research and Care Come Together
At Fox Chase, research and patient care are intricately connected.
As a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, Fox Chase provides access to clinical trials, advanced surgical techniques, and emerging therapies tailored to each patient.
Researchers are working to better understand how lung cancer develops in women, why some patients respond differently to treatments like immunotherapy, and how to improve outcomes across all stages of disease.
A Shared Commitment to Progress
Congressman Boyle’s visit underscores a broader shift, one that is bringing greater attention, resources, and urgency to lung cancer in women.
There is growing recognition that addressing this disease will require stronger research, earlier detection, and more coordinated care.
For patients and families, that commitment carries a clear message.
“We see you, we hear you, and we are committed to doing better,” Su said.