NORFOLK, Va. — A new report from the American Lung Association shows that Virginia is making measurable progress in the fight against lung cancer, but the state still lags behind in early detection, screening, and access to advanced testing.

The 2025 State of Lung Cancer report ranks Virginia 17th in the nation for new lung cancer cases, with a rate of 51.2 per 100,000 people, slightly better than the national rate of 52.8 per 100,000.

Over the past five years, that number has improved by 8 percent.

But experts say the gains are tempered by another reality: only 28.1% of lung cancer cases in Virginia are diagnosed early, when the survival rate is the highest. That ranks the state 31st nationwide for early diagnosis, which mirrors the national average.

"We only have about 18% of peopl

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