November Health Observances Highlight Urgent Needs—and Life Science-Driven Hope

November highlights three critical public health observances: National Diabetes Month, Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Each represents a significant health challenge for Californians—each underscores the essential role the life science industry plays in advancing prevention, treatment, and early detection.

National Diabetes Month highlights the importance of understanding and managing diabetes and its related health complications and emphasizes the need for early detection and prevention. According to the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes impacts more than 38 million Americans, including 3.57 million Californians, and costs the state nearly $40 billion annually. This chronic health condition affects how the body processes blood sugar and can attack the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

California’s life sciences industry is doing its part to manage, treat, and potentially cure diabetes. In fact, many promising therapies are currently on the market or in the pipeline for type 1 or type 2 diabetes, including oral medications, synthetic insulins, and injectables. These medications aim to help control blood sugar(glucose levels), promote weight loss in people with obesity, and protect vital organs. Recent groundbreaking GLP-1–based therapies—initially developed for type 2 diabetes—are reshaping how we approach both diabetes and obesity. These medicines improve blood sugar control, support meaningful weight loss, and reduce long-term risks to the heart and kidneys. The key is to ensure patients who urgently need these life-changing treatments have access to them.

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month is a time to recognize one of the deadliest cancers worldwide —one that is often diagnosed too late for effective intervention. The primary goals of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month are to raise awareness about the disease and current scientific breakthroughs that are bringing new therapies to patients.

New life science industry discoveries are offering fresh hope. A BioNTech mRNA personalized vaccine is moving into its next trial phase, while researchers are uncovering metabolic weaknesses in tumor cells that could lead to targeted therapies. Scientists are also working to identify diabetes-linked biomarkers to detect pancreatic cancer earlier—critical progress for a disease that remains a silent killer and typically difficult to diagnose.

Together, these advances—spanning immunotherapy, metabolic targeting, and molecular diagnostics—underscore the life science industry’s vital role in transforming what has long been one of the deadliest and most elusive cancers.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month is an international observance dedicated to raising awareness about lung cancer, combating its stigma, encouraging public support for research and screening, and remembering those affected by the disease.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths here in California and across the U.S., but the American Lung Association’s 2024 State of Lung Cancer report reveals positive news. The lung cancer survival rate has improved by 26% in the last five years. The report also presents opportunities for California to further improve lung cancer survival by increasing access to screening and biomarker testing.

The life science industry continues to play a pivotal role in improving outcomes for people at risk for, or living with, lung cancer. Biopharma companies are advancing next-generation screening tools that can detect lung cancer earlier through more precise imaging technologies, molecular profiling, and blood-based diagnostics that identify cancer signals long before symptoms appear.

At the same time, researchers are developing targeted therapies and immunotherapies tailored to a tumor’s genetic makeup—treatments that have already extended survival and improved quality of life for many. These scientific and public-health innovations are expanding the tools available to prevent lung cancer, detect it earlier, and deliver more personalized, effective treatments when patients need them most.

As we observe these three November health awareness campaigns, there is growing reason for optimism. Life science innovation is rapidly expanding what is possible in early detection and diagnosis—breakthroughs that can change outcomes for patients living with the deadliest diseases. This year, Bay Area–based GRAIL announced promising results from its multi-cancer early detection blood test, Galleri, which can identify more than 50 cancers, many before symptoms appear. In recent studies involving nearly 36,000 adults, the test detected seven times more cancers when used alongside standard screenings, with more than half of the identified cases found at early stages. Tools like this represent a significant step forward in catching aggressive cancers such as pancreatic, liver, lung, and ovarian cancers when they are most treatable.

As these observances remind us, continued progress requires strong collaboration between researchers, health organizations, communities, and state leaders. By supporting science-driven innovation, investing in prevention efforts, and expanding access to early detection and advanced therapies, we can help ensure healthier futures for all Californians.