Korea AZ Launches 'Lung Cancer Zero Campaign' to Raise Awareness of 'Non-Smoking Lung Cancer' Risks

Korea AstraZeneca announced on the 28th that it will launch the ‘Lung Cancer Zero’ campaign to raise awareness about the risk of lung cancer, including among non-smoking women, emphasize the importance of early screening, and encourage and support proactive measures. Korea AstraZeneca also plans to recruit and operate university student ambassadors to help spread the campaign message.

Korea AstraZeneca is continuously conducting a nationwide campaign urging early lung cancer screening, including for non-smoking women, as part of the Korean Lung Cancer Association (LAA). The LAA is a global non-profit collaborative organization established to reduce the worldwide mortality rate caused by lung cancer and accelerate innovation for lung cancer patients.

Korea AstraZeneca launched the ‘Lung Live the Queen’ campaign last March, which hopes for all women to live free from lung cancer and maintain a healthy life. Following that, it is now conducting the second program, the ‘Lung Cancer Zero’ campaign, aimed at women in high-risk groups to recognize the necessity of early screening and practice proactive measures. For this campaign, partners such as the Korea Women’s Foundation, Korea Lung Cancer Patient Association, British Chamber of Commerce in Korea (BCCK), and the British Embassy in Korea will participate to provide overall support and advisory roles for the program.

Lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death in Korea last year. Notably, 3 out of 10 lung cancer patients are women. Although smoking is known as the main cause of lung cancer, 87.5% of female lung cancer patients in Korea are non-smokers. When diagnosed early and treated surgically, the 5-year survival rate for lung cancer approaches 80%, but the actual early diagnosis rate is only 31.4%, highlighting the essential need for social attention to detect patients early.

Accordingly, Korea AstraZeneca plans to recruit university student ambassadors for Lung Cancer Zero to encourage various activities that raise social awareness. The student ambassadors will carry out diverse activities through group and individual missions to inform about various lung cancer risk factors beyond smoking and help potential lung cancer patients in screening blind spots take proactive measures.

Applications for ambassadors will be accepted until the 8th of next month. The activity period is three months, from December this year to February next year. Any currently enrolled or on-leave university students nationwide who want to raise awareness about the necessity of early lung cancer screening and help create a healthy world free of lung cancer can apply individually or as a team of up to five members. To apply, applicants must download the application form and activity plan from the Lung Cancer Zero campaign website and submit them via the designated email.

Ambassadors will conduct original online and offline campaign promotion activities under the theme of ‘The seriousness of lung cancer, including among non-smoking women, and the importance of early lung cancer screening.’ Key activities include ▲group studies on the seriousness of lung cancer and the importance of early screening ▲in-depth interviews encouraging early lung cancer screening targeting local communities and groups ▲collecting public pledges on the necessity of early lung cancer screening.

During the activity period, outstanding participants who submit excellent activity reports and actively collect pledges will receive a total prize of 7.5 million KRW and mentoring opportunities through the empower program by BCCK and the British Embassy in Korea. Applicants who submit excellent applications and activity plans will be invited as ambassador representatives to the BCCK Christmas luncheon, and all ambassadors will receive certificates of appointment, activity allowances, and campaign goods.

Jeon Se-hwan, President of Korea AstraZeneca, said, "Korea AstraZeneca is committed not only to developing treatments but also to creating an environment where patients can prevent diseases, detect them early, receive accurate diagnoses, and appropriate treatments anytime and anywhere." He added, "With the participation of university student ambassadors and experts from various sectors in this Lung Cancer Zero campaign, we expect more people to understand the importance of early lung cancer screening. Korea AstraZeneca will continue to take the lead in creating an ecosystem where patients can live better lives through early screening and collaborate continuously with various partners to build a future where lung cancer is no longer a cause of death."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.