Lung Cancer Awareness

Lung Cancer Awareness Month: Screening Saves Lives

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Though treatment options for lung cancer have dramatically improved in recent years, lung cancer remains by the far the leading cause of cancer deaths, causing more deaths than prostate, breast, and colon cancers combined. The good news is that screening options to detect lung cancer at its earliest stages when it is most treatable are now more readily available than ever. Unfortunately, only about 5%-15% of eligible patients receive routine screenings for lung cancer.

Throughout November and December, thoracic surgeons Timothy Mullett, MD, MBA, FACS and Daniel Boffa, MD, MBA, FACS of the American College of Surgeons will be available for media interviews to demystify fears and raise awareness of the importance of lung cancer screening. They can discuss who should get screened for lung cancer and when, why it’s critical for patients to ask their primary care physicians about lung cancer screening, and why screening for lung cancer should become routine for many patients, just like mammograms and colonoscopies.

Dr. Mullett and Dr. Boffa recommend that adults over 50 who have smoked for 15 years or longer—even if they have quit—ask their primary care physician about annual screenings with a low-dose CT (LDCT) scan. The screening is covered by most insurance plans, takes only a few minutes, and is proven to reduce the chances of dying from lung cancer. Lives can be saved—if only more people will get screened.

Timothy Mullett, MD, MBA, FACS, Chair of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC).

From surgeons who treat the disease

“The lung cancer of today is not the same lung cancer your grandfather or ancestors may have faced. Now more than ever, we have more screening options available to detect lung cancer at its earliest stages when it is most treatable," said Dr. Mullett, Chair of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC). He is also a professor of general thoracic surgery and medical director of the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network at the University of Kentucky, Lexington. A surgical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of lung cancer, Dr. Mullett is a co-leader of the Kentucky LEADS Collaborative, which works to improve lung cancer survival and optimize the quality of lung cancer screening programs.

Even for people diagnosed with lung cancer, outcomes are improving. "There are so many new medications and other targeted treatments that are available," he said. "These are game-changing strategies that need to be made more accessible to patients across the country.”

Daniel Boffa, MD, MBA, FACS, Chair of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Quality Assurance and Data Committee.

“To cure more patients, we need to screen for lung cancer regularly in high-risk patients, just as we do for breast and colon cancers," added Dr. Boffa, Chair of the ACS Commission on Cancer Quality Assurance and Data Committee. He is also professor of thoracic surgery, division chief of thoracic surgery, and clinical director of the Center for Thoracic Cancers at the Yale School of Medicine. Committed to increasing the survival rate of cancer patients, Dr. Boffa’s clinical research focuses on preventing tumor metastasis and early detection of lung cancer. "Research shows that smokers who have a yearly CT scan to screen for lung cancer can reduce their chances of dying of lung cancer by almost 20%. That's more powerful than any treatment we have ever had for lung cancer by far.”

To schedule an interview with Dr. Mullett and Dr. Boffa, please contact PressInquiry@facs.org.

Lung Cancer Facts

Excluding skin cancers, lung cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in the United States.
Lung cancer accounts for the most cancer deaths, causing more deaths than prostate, breast, and colon cancers combined. Roughly 25% of cancer deaths can be attributed to lung cancer.
There are two primary types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Most lung cancers (about 84%) are NSCLC.
Lung cancer is primarily diagnosed in older people (65 and older), but younger people can also get lung cancer.
Though lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths, survival rates are improving. A 2022 State of Lung Cancer report from the American Lung Association found that the national average of people alive five years after a lung cancer diagnosis is 25%—a 21% improvement over the last five years. However, survival rates remain significantly lower among communities of color, stemming from racial disparities in healthcare coverage that prevent access to early screening and treatments.

Sources:

Lung cancer signs and symptoms

Unfortunately, lung cancer does not always present with symptoms until it is at a more advanced stage, when it is more difficult to treat. However, according to the American Lung Association, some early signs and symptoms of lung cancer may include:

A cough that does not go away and gets worse over time
Hoarseness
Constant chest pain
Shortness of breath or wheezing
Frequent lung infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia
Coughing up blood

Other symptoms unrelated to breathing that may occur (especially when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body) may include:

Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Headaches
Bone pain or fractures
Blood clots

Lung cancer risk factors

Long-term tobacco smoking is the greatest risk factor for developing lung cancer, increasing the risk of developing lung cancer 25-fold.
But non-smokers can get lung cancer, too. Exposure to secondhand smoke, environmental pollutants (radon, air pollution, asbestos), and having a history of lung disease (from tuberculosis, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis, for example) are other known risk factors for lung cancer.
Some genetic mutations (TP53, EGFR, KRAS) can cause lung cancer, but many times, these mutations are somatic — meaning they are acquired in one’s lifetime, not hereditary.
Having a family history of lung cancer may also increase the risk of developing the disease in both smokers and non-smokers. Research is ongoing on the inherited risk of lung cancer due to genetics and shared environmental factors.

Getting screened for lung cancer

Now more than ever, screening options are more accessible and often covered by most insurance plans.
If you have a history of smoking and are 50 or older, or are worried about lung cancer due to environmental exposure, talk to your primary care doctor to see if you are eligible for screening and ways to reduce your risk of developing lung cancer.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends yearly lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scans of the lungs (LDCT) for adults 50-80 years old who have a 20-pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.
According to the National Cancer Institute, a pack-year is calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years the person has smoked. So, you have a 20-pack-year smoking history if you have smoked a pack a day for the last 20 years, or two packs a day for the last 10 years.

Why screening matters

Like many other cancers, outcomes are vastly improved when lung cancer is caught at an early stage. In some cases, the cancer can be completely cured if caught early enough.
Screening works by detecting cancerous changes or tumors when they are at their earliest stages and are most treatable. Studies show that receiving an annual screening with LDCT can reduce the chances of dying of lung cancer in high-risk patients by 20-33%.
The cure rate for the earliest stage of lung cancer is over 90%, compared to less than 20% when it has spread to vital organs.
Unfortunately, only about 5%-15% of eligible patients are routinely screened for lung cancer, leading to several thousands of premature deaths each year.

Racial disparities in lung cancer screening and treatment

African Americans are often less likely to be screened and treated for lung cancer and are more likely to die from the disease due to treatment disparities.
Hispanic men and women are less likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer due to historically lower levels of smoking but have lower survival rates and are diagnosed at a later stage compared with non-Hispanic white individuals.
Some research has looked at the use of telemedicine to reduce disparities in lung cancer screening.

Advances in treating lung cancer

Research is evolving on biomarker testing of tumors (testing tumors for certain characteristics) that may allow for highly effective targeted therapy, or “personalized medicine.”
New medications and treatments such as immunotherapy are also available and are constantly evolving to help extend the lifespans of patients with later stages of the disease.
Surgery for lung cancer is becoming much less invasive than in past years. The use of surgical robots and video technology allows surgeons to make smaller incisions, improving outcomes and reducing the overall recovery time in many patients.

Lung Cancer Awareness