American Indian / Alaska Natives
The choice of treatment for lung cancer is a personal one.
The Caring Ambassadors Lung Cancer Program is pleased to offer resources on lung cancer screening and treatment for the American Indian/Alaska Native communities.
Lung cancer rates are eighty-three percent higher in AI/AN communities than in non-Hispanic whites and death rates are fifty percent higher comparatively. Native Peoples have the highest prevalence of tobacco use than any other population in the U.S. There are also significant socio-economic and cultural barriers to Native Peoples being aware of, being diagnosed for and accessing care for lung cancer.
To raise awareness about these statistics and barriers we have developed this resource to help patients and their loved ones find the information they need to access screening and treatment for lung cancer.
Facing cancer is one of the most difficult challenges a person can experience and through this outreach/information we hope to provide compassion and support to those facing the many challenges of a diagnosis of lung cancer.
The choice of treatment for lung cancer is a personal one. We encourage you to carefully assess the information provided her and elsewhere, and to work with your healthcare team to choose treatment approaches that meet your individual needs.
Organizations and Programs
Alaska Native Health Board
The Alaska Native Health Board (ANHB) is the statewide voice on Alaska Native health issues. Active for over 40 years as an advocacy organization for the health needs and concerns of all Alaska Native people, ANHB continues to emphasize the importance of self-determination in healthcare services and encourages wellness and healthy ways of life in Native communities through policy change.
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium provides the highest quality health services for Alaska Native people at the Alaska Native Medical Center and across Alaska through training, health education, disease and injury prevention, and rural water and sewer construction.
American Indian Cancer Foundation
At the American Indian Cancer Foundation, we imagine a world where cancer is no longer the leading cause of death for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
American Indian Health – Information from the National Institutes of Health. American Indian and Alaska Native Health is a central source for information about the health and well-being of Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
Cancer in MedlinePlus
Information about Cancer including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment brought to you bu the U.S. National National Library of Medicine.
Keep It Sacred
The mission of the National Native Network is to enhance the quality and performance of public health systems to reduce commercial tobacco-related illnesses and cancer disparities among American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
Indian Health Services (IHS)
The Federal Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives
National Congress of American Indians
The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.
National Council of Urban Indian Health
NCUIH is the only National 501(c)(3) organization devoted to the support and development of quality, accessible, and culturally-competent health services for American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban settings.
National Indian Health Board
The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) represents Tribal governments—both those that operate their own health care delivery systems through contracting and compacting, and those receiving health care directly from the Indian Health Service (IHS).
Native Circle
The American Indian / Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations have very high incidence rates for specific cancer sites and poor survival rates for most cancers. The AI/AN Leadership Initiative on Cancer addresses comprehensive tribal cancer control.
Urban Indian Health Institute
The mission of Urban Indian Health Institute is to decolonize data, for Indigenous people, by Indigenous people.
Facts and Figures
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Cancer Among American Indians and Alaska Natives
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) in the United States have unique cancer patterns due to their history and culture, where they live, and how they get health care.
- Causes of Death Among American Indians and Alaska Natives
CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control sponsored a supplemental issue of the American Journal of Public Health about the leading causes of death among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations.
- Frequently Asked Questions About Cancer For Native Americans and Alaska Natives
Cancer is the name for diseases that happen when cells—the normalsmall units that make up the human body—start to grow too fast in an unhealthy way.
- American Cancer Society Facts & Figures 2024
Cancer Facts & Figures 2024 is an educational companion for Cancer Statistics 2024, a scientific paper published in the American Cancer Society journal, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
American Indian Cancer Foundation
- American Indian Cancer Facts
American Indians face alarming inequities in cancer incidence and mortality. Cancer incidence rates vary by tribe, region and gender but are often much higher than Whites.