Lung cancer is one of the most preventable causes of death in the world.

This article is part of a monthly series that focuses on cancer issues. Denver 7 American Cancer Society, Cancer support community, Colorado Cancer Union And Health ONE Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute We bring you these stories, tips and resources.

Denver-In the United States, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women. More than a total of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers die of lung cancer.

In Colorado this year, the American Cancer Society estimates that 2,550 people will be diagnosed with lung and bronchial cancer and 1,450 will die of the disease.

Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer and is a major cause of lung cancer. Other factors, such as exposure to other chemicals and genetic alterations, can cause lung cancer.

Types of lung cancer
There are two main types of lung cancer.

• Non-small cell lung cancerIf detected early in stage I or II, it is often treated with surgery alone. In stage III patients, doctors may recommend a combination of treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer is treated with chemotherapy alone and, in some cases, radiation therapy.
• Small cell lung cancer Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are usually used instead of surgery.

Risk Factors for Lung Cancer
As you may know, smoking causes the majority of lung cancer in adults, but nonsmokers are also diagnosed with lung cancer.

Here are some common risk factors you may not be familiar with:

• Indirect smoking breathing from tobacco, pipes, or cigars.
• Exposure to high levels of radon, a gas from rocks and soil that occurs naturally and can be trapped in homes and buildings.
• Exposure to asbestos, arsenic, diesel emissions, and certain workplace substances such as silica and chromium.
• There are close relatives such as parents, siblings, and children who have been diagnosed with lung cancer.
• Being a cancer survivor who received radiation therapy to the chest as part of treatment.

Lung cancer symptoms
Unfortunately, people with early-stage lung cancer do not experience any symptoms.

As the cancer grows, the common symptoms of lung cancer are:

• Indelible cough
• Vomiting blood
• Chest pain
• Swallowing or breathing problems
• Fatigue and devastation
• Dyspnea
• pneumonia
• Wheezing
• Hoarseness
• No weight loss / feeling hungry

Keep in mind that these symptoms may be due to another medical problem. Therefore, it is important to consult your doctor if you have any symptoms.

Lung cancer screening.
People who are considered to be at high risk (ages 55-77 and who have smoked for at least 30 packs of years) are eligible for lung cancer screening. You can calculate the number of years of smoking by multiplying the number of smoking packs per day by the number of years of smoking (if you currently have lung cancer symptoms, you will not be screened).

The American Cancer Society annually recommends low-dose CT scans for lung cancer screening for people aged 55 to 74 years who are at high risk of lung cancer and who are currently smoking or have smoked for the last 30 packs of smoking doing. 15 years. It is important for people to talk to their healthcare providers about screening in order to make informed decisions.

“Lung cancer screening has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality by 20%,” said Jenifer Marks, general thoracic surgeon at Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery Associates, who sees patients at the Presbyterian / St. Aurora Medical Center. .. Luke’s Medical Center and Rose Medical Center. “Early detection is the most important.”

Annual screening is recommended for those who meet the screening and risk factor criteria.

11 HealthOne locations The Denver Metro Area offers lung cancer screening. For more information on lung cancer screening, please see American Cancer Society..

How artificial intelligence saves lives
HealthONE’s Sarah Cannon Cancer Network uses advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help detect lung cancer early. AI technology scans radiation reports from all chest CTs performed in various hospitals and facilities to identify the word “nodule” associated with the lungs and the abnormal spots seen on imaging tests, lung nodules. Look for some other keywords that will help you. According to Dr. Marks, nodules can be early or of varying degrees of concern.

“Our software pulls reports that are sent to the lung nodule coordinators at each facility, who review the charts and validate the information that the technology has acquired,” she said.

Concerns about lung nodules are brought to interdisciplinary oncology meetings at each hospital. There, a team of investigators treating these nodules, including thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, radiologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists, determine the appropriate follow-up.

“We have an expert eye. This is what we see and deal with every day, identifying the nodules of concern and facilitating faster follow-up or close examination of those nodules. You won’t lose time for potential malignancies because it helps you to do so, “Dr. Marks said.

Click here for details video..

Lung cancer biomarker testing tool
This groundbreaking streamlined platform Members of the Cancer Support Community inform lung cancer patients and their loved ones and enable them to actively participate in the treatment decision-making process.

Biomarker test Is an innovative and relatively new development in cancer treatment that helps physicians learn more about specific subtypes of cancer in patients. Depending on the results of the biomarker test, this information can be used to provide targeted therapies to treat this particular subtype of cancer. By answering a few simple questions, lung cancer patients and their loved ones will receive personal information about their biomarker test options and how targeted therapy affects the course of treatment.

For more information on how this works, Patient using the tool Or through Lung Cancer Resource Page Of the cancer support community.

American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout
The American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout is on the third Thursday of November. This year is November 19th. GreatAmericanSmokeout is an opportunity for smokers to live a healthy, non-smoking life, not just for the day, but all year round.

The Great American Smokeout event encourages people to quit smoking and helps them learn about the many tools they can use to quit and stay quit smoking.

About 32.4 million American adults are still smoking, and smoking remains the only preventable cause of death and illness in the world.

The American Cancer Society has resources to quit Cancer.org/smokeout And 1-800-227-2345