For Lung Cancer Awareness Month, make changes

Editor’s Note: This column was provided by Atrium Health Navicent as part of an effort to spread awareness of lung cancer.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a time when doctors and groups across the nation set aside time to focus on this deadly disease and to urge everyone to take it seriously. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths and the second most common cancer in the U.S.. This is also a time when we rally support for those undergoing lung cancer treatment and their loved ones, and lung cancer survivors. We also reflect on the patients who have died of this devastating disease, and find hope in new treatments and clinical trials that more lives will be saved. In fact, lung cancer mortality has decreased over the past decade.  

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your lungs, and in the 30 years I’ve been practicing medicine, I’ve seen it to be the most effective way of preventing lung cancer. The American Cancer Society has shown us that within the first year of quitting smoking, coughing and shortness of breath decrease, as does your risk of heart attack. Ten years after quitting, your risk of lung cancer is about half that of an active smoker. In addition, your risk drops for cancer of the bladder, esophagus, kidney, mouth and throat.

Think of how much longer and healthier your life could be, if you took the steps today to stop smoking! Other ways to reduce your risk for lung cancer include limiting exposure to cancer-causing agents such as radon and asbestos, and eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. 

If you’ve ever been a smoker, it’s important to disclose that information to your primary care provider and to talk about whether you should consider scheduling a lung cancer screening using low-dose CT scanning technology. The CT takes a detailed 3D picture of your lungs using a small amount of radiation that’s up to 90 percent less than a conventional CT scan.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has laid out some guidelines to determine who qualifies for lung cancer screening. You may qualify for lung cancer screening if you:

— Are between the ages of 50 and 80

— Smoked cigarettes in the last 15 years.

— Have a 20 pack year history, for example:

— 1 pack of cigarettes per day for 20 years

— 2 packs of cigarettes per day for 10 years

— ½ pack per day for 40 years

Unfortunately, almost half of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at later stages, when the cancer has spread to other organs, treatment options are less likely to be effective and the chance for beating cancer is lower.

But, with advancements in screening technology, we’re now identifying and treating lung cancer earlier than ever before. It’s truly saving lives and improving quality of life.

Last year, Atrium Health Navicent was the first health system in central Georgia to introduce the Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy procedure that enables doctors to use minimally-invasive surgical technology to examine the airways of the lungs to diagnose lung cancer and other lung diseases. The robot helps doctors to precisely collect tissue samples from the hard-to-reach periphery of the lungs where more than 70 percent of lung cancers occur. The procedure is so very precise that patients typically get an answer with 90 percent or more accuracy when the cancer is very small.

Knowledge is power – both in taking steps to safeguard your health and quality of life, and in pursing treatment if you are diagnosed with cancer.

I can’t stress enough the importance of quitting smoking as a preventative step and of having real, honest conversations with your primary care provider if you’re at higher risk for lung cancer. 

Dr. Rogerio Lilenbaum is Cancer Service Line Leader for Atrium Health Navicent, based in Macon. An oncologist with more than 30 years experience, he has published more than 100 manuscripts and abstracts while leading cancer teams in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida and Georgia.