HJNO Nov/Dec 2020

52 NOV / DEC 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS DIALOGUE COLUMN ONCOLOGY Lung Cancer Overview Recent medical advances offer a new and powerful message of hope for patients with lung cancer. In 2020 it is estimated that there will be 228,820 new cases of lung can- cer. Tragically, there will also be an estimat- ed 135,720 lung cancer deaths. Although the lung cancer statistics are serious, advances in medical science offer new hope. We can now cure more patients with lung cancer than was ever possible before. This article will explore many of the exciting recent medical advances that allow us to treat lung cancer with more confidence than was possible in the past. Causes of Lung Cancer The predominant cause of lung cancer is smoking. About 80 percent of all lung can- cers are directly caused by smoking. It is relatively rare for someone who has never smoked to develop lung cancer. Secondhand smoke, which is the smoke inhaled by some- one other than the smoker, kills an estimated 7,000 people every year in the United States. Increasingly effective approaches to quit- ting smoking have been developed in recent years. If you or someone you love smokes, even if efforts to quit in the past have been unsuccessful, I encourage continued efforts toward smoking cessation. Quitting smoking is among the most important contributions to health that anyone can do. Lung Cancer Screening Lung cancer is much more curable when discovered early. When lung cancer is less than 1 inch in size at diagnosis and has not spread elsewhere, the approximate control rate at five years is remarkably high at 80 percent. When lung cancer is diagnosed in its most advanced stage, the five-year control rate is under 10 percent. This illustrates the importance of finding lung cancer at its earli- est stages when it is usually not symptomatic. Lung cancer screening for people at higher risk has been proven effective at catching lung cancer early and is nowwidely available. Lung cancer screening is performed by using a CT (or CAT) scan of the lungs. The CT for screening is done with a special technique using low doses of radiation. The lung can- cer screening CT is done without injections and does not require swallowing contrast. Screening for lung cancer may be done at yearly intervals. Diagnosing Lung Cancer Most people diagnosed with lung can- cer have symptoms leading to its discovery. The most common symptoms of lung cancer Medical Advances Bring New Hope LUNG CANCER 2020: