Lung Cancer Screening A Must

Lung cancer remains the deadliest of all cancers, taking more lives than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined. The reason: Lung cancer symptoms often don't appear until the later stages when treatment options are more limited.

"Lung cancer tends to grow quietly and doesn't cause symptoms until a vital structure like a major airway or blood vessel is disturbed by the growth,"  said Don Dumont, MD, pulmonologist at Franciscan Physician Network in Munster, Indiana. "As a result, we often don't find the disease until it's at a late stage."

Until recently, there were no good screening tests for lung cancer, but lung screenings can now detect cancer at early stages. In fact, getting a tumor detected via an annual CT lung scan raises the odds of five-year survival from stage 1 to 4 lung cancer by 63%, according to the American Lung Association.

“If an area looks suspicious on a lung screening, we can perform a biopsy by utilizing our new, in-house Auris MONARCH® bronchoscopy system that travels deep into the lung and can pinpoint even the smallest of lung nodules. If pathology indicates cancer, we begin treatment right away, improving outcomes with early stage treatment,” said Dr. Cory Hogue, MD, radiation oncologist with Franciscan Physician Network, who practices at Franciscan Cancer Center Munster. “But this is why a lung cancer screening for patients that qualify is so vitally important. Early detection is imperative to saving lives.” 

Who Should Have A Lung Cancer Screening?

Under current American Cancer Society guidelines, yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan is currently recommended for all people aged 50 to 80 who smoke or used to smoke, and who have at least a 20 pack-year history of smoking (meaning a pack of cigarettes smoked per day for 20 years) and who have no visible signs or symptoms of lung cancer.

Have 1 Additional Risk Factor 

• History of lung disease
• Family history of lung cancer (parent or sibling)
• Personal history of cancer
• Radon exposure (mines, caves, tunnels, power plants or fertilizers)
• Occupational exposure (factories, mills, truck driver, refinery, railroad, mechanic)

What Is A Lung Cancer Screening Like?

A lung screening is simply a CT (computerized tomography) scan, or a series of X-ray views taken from multiple angles. It’s a quick and easy procedure that provides doctors with images of your lungs.

The patient lays down on a table that passes through a tube. It takes about 10 seconds, and there are no needles or injections. You receive the results within a few days.

Why Do You Need To Get A Lung Screening Every Year?

It's vitally important to get an annual lung screening. That's because you can still develop lung cancer at any point in time, even if past screenings have been negative.

"We've seen cases where the first couple of screenings were clear, but in later screenings a tumor was found," Dr. Dumont said. "Some forms of lung cancer can grow incredibly fast, even in a year's time."

If you or a loved one is at risk of developing the disease, schedule a lung cancer screening today.

What are the Advantages of Early Lung Cancer Treatment?

"The best way to cure lung cancer is to surgically remove it," Dr. Dumont said. "You have that option if your lung cancer is in the earlier stages, particularly stage one. Having surgery to remove a lung cancer tumor successfully eliminates the disease in about 60 percent of patients."

Franciscan Health Cancer Center in Munster has teamed up with thoracic surgeons from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, helping lung cancer patients find the most advanced, experienced surgical intervention without having to travel to the city.  

“Teaming up with the Munster Cancer Center and having an on-site Auris MONARCH bronchoscopy platform for effectively diagnosing patients will bring next-level care to an already strong lung cancer program. As soon as a positive lung nodule is discovered, we can begin plans for treatment right away. I truly look forward to helping lung cancer patients in the northwest Indiana community and beyond with the earliest intervention so we can get the best prognosis,” said Michael Liptay, MD, Chair, Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center.       

First launched at Franciscan Health Indianapolis Interventional Pulmonology Clinic, the Auris MONARCH bronchoscopy platform has had many successes with uncovering lung cancer earlier. Once lung cancer has spread outside the lung to other organs, surgery is no longer an option.

Faisal Kahn, MD, interventional pulmonologist, details the scope of this revolutionary technology and how it could help a patient get diagnosed sooner.

What’s the Best Way to Prevent Lung Cancer?

"The single best way to reduce the risk of lung cancer is to stop smoking," Dr. Dumont said. "If you quit today, in seven years you’ll be five times less likely to develop lung cancer than if you continued heavy smoking. It's never too late to quit smoking."

Learn more about our tobacco cessation programs and how Franciscan Health can help you quit.