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Lung cancer is still the number one cause of cancer-related deaths
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November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a month the medical community reminds us why getting screened early and often could save your life
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There's actually some data out there that shows that only about 15% of people who are eligible get screened
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Dr. Danielle Hughes is a pulmonary and critical care physician. She stresses early detection is key when it comes to cancer
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So if we can find it earlier, we can offer patients better survival overall
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A report by the American Lung Association shows someone is diagnosed with lung cancer every two minutes in the United States
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361 people die from the disease every day. With those numbers, Hughes reiterates, if you've ever smoked, you need to talk to your doctor about screening
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It's really hard when I see a patient that comes in who's 65, should have been getting
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screened for 15 years, and we find something that's extremely extensive. Not to mention that screening may find other health concerns
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We'll find things like coronary artery disease, or maybe I'm finding beginnings of some lung
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disease on there. No matter what, if anything is found, Hughes says the key is regular screenings
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Regular screening has been shown to catch lung cancer at earlier stages
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And earlier stages have better prognosis and better survival. At the end of the day, Hughes reminds that we are our own best advocate
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If you think something is wrong, get it checked out. The earlier that we detect things, the better the prognosis and survival
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For Straight Arrow News, I'm Jack Henry
