The Rise of Lung Cancer in Women and Never-Smokers
7/22/202659 min
Lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in American women—and a growing share of new cases are in women who have never touched a cigarette. Anne Wojcicki's sister, former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, was one of them. In this episode of HEALTHFUL, Norah O'Donnell sits down with Anne, Dr. Kim Sandler, Director of the Vanderbilt Lung Screening Program, and Shira Kupperman Boehler—a lifelong nonsmoker and daily runner diagnosed with lung cancer at 44—to discuss why lung cancer is becoming one of the most urgent, and least understood, threats to women's health.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsShira Bowler· Guest0:00
When I was told that I have lung cancer, I was in shock. Lung cancer's killing more young healthy women than breast, and ovarian, and colon cancer combined.
Anne Wojcicki· Guest0:09
This is a women's cancer. This is a women's health crisis. If this is killing all these people, why aren't we doing something?
Speaker 30:16
This lung scan is so easy.
Shira Bowler· Guest0:18
It's easy. I- It's so easy.
Anne Wojcicki· Guest0:20
It is a very curable disease when we find it early. You know, my sister is not here, and Shira is.
Shira Bowler· Guest0:27
I think my be-all, end-all goal with everything is to make cancer a chronic illness we die with, not from.
Anne Wojcicki· Guest0:35
There is this opportunity to drive awareness, and I think drive change.
Speaker 30:39
[gentle music] This show is sponsored by UnitedHealth Group. We know women live longer than men, but did you know they spend 25% more of their lives in poor health? How can that be? Well, it's that women's care is often treated as isolated moments instead of a lifelong experience. That's why UnitedHealth Group is working to reshape women's health with a more connected approach to care, supporting women through every stage of life from adolescence to menopause, and every moment in between. This year, UnitedHealth Group was the first to expand coverage for doula care nationwide, helping more women access personalized support before, during, and after birth. And through community partnerships and in-home care, UnitedHealth Group is helping women with the greatest needs detect and prevent diseases like cancer and