New lung cancer screening saving lives

By Ben ShermanNovember 14, 2013

Cancer rates have declined in almost every category in the United States over the past two decades, due in large part to screening and early detection in every cancer category except one. The fatality rate for lung cancer has stayed almost flat for the last 20 years largely due to lack of effective screening and detection tools. The traditional screening for lung cancer has been chest X-rays. But now the medical community has a more effective method for detecting tumors in the lungs, through a procedure called low-dose CT (computed tomography X-ray) scans.

"Lung cancer kills more people every year than all the other cancers some 169,000 deaths. That is more than breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer combined," said Lane Hooten, Chief Operating Officer, Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma. "In the past we only had chest X-rays and often by the time a cancerous tumor would show up on X-ray the cancer was in an advanced stage, which was not good for the patient. If lung cancer can be caught in the early stages - Stage 1 or 2, a patient has an 85 to 95 percent chance of survival. But if it isn't found until Stage 3 or 4, the survivability rate is 15 percent. And that's with a lot of pain from the treatments and procedures they have to endure."

Now medicine has the low-dose CT scan which uses a much lower amount of radiation than standard X-rays, while being much more accurate. This new scanning procedure uses even less radiation than standard CT scans, thus protecting the patient from too much radiation exposure. The Cancer Centers of Southwest Oklahoma have these new scanners in all three of their centers, in Altus, Duncan and Lawton.

"We've scanned about 130 patients so far, and some of them have to come back for other studies because a nodule is seen or in a few cases, we have discovered actual cancers. Those patients will have to have follow-up CTs or MRI scans. But the good news is the low-dose screening is discovering problems at an early stage, when something can be done to save the patient's life," Hooten said.

Hooten said the Cancer Centers are now offering free low-dose CT scans on high-risk patients those over age 50 who have a history of persistent smoking of 15 to 30 years. Patients must be referred to the Cancer Centers through their family doctor, but the initial test is free. There is no charge to the patient's insurance company unless something is discovered, and follow-up studies are required. If a patient doesn't have a primary care doctor, an oncology doctor at the center can write an order for the test. For more information call 580-536-2121.

"If a person is younger than 50 and they show other signs of lung disease persistent coughing, shortness of breath and have been a chronic smoker, they should contact their doctor who can then determine whether they should be referred for the low-dose CT testing," Hooten said. "The majority of lung cancer victims are persistent heavy smokers, and they should take advantage of this new procedure because this is the first time we have had an effective screening tool to detect lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.

"The beauty of the low-dose CT scans is that it saves lives. In every way it saves lives because it can catch lung cancer at an early enough stage that the patient can have a fighting chance,' he added.

Another upcoming event that will help save lives is the Cancer Prevention Study-3, or CPS-3, Nov. 21-23. This is a long-term cancer survey sponsored by the American Cancer Society that will determine how genetics, lifestyle and the environment work together to cause or prevent cancer. The target group is adults ages 30 through 65. Participants must be willing to give a blood sample, be measured and weighed and fill out an in-depth survey about their health history. Then the American Cancer Society will send participants a survey to their homes periodically for the next 20 years.

Appointments can be scheduled at www.cancersurveyOK.org or by calling 888-604-5888. The initial survey can also be filled out online to save time.

"This is an American Cancer Society event and the Cancer Centers are only making our facility available to them. However, we are encouraging everyone in Southwest Oklahoma to take advantage of the CPS-3 survey because it is so easy to do. The studies they have done in the past have been very important to help us learn about cancers. It's one of the few chances people get to participate in a clinical trial and not have cancer," Hooten said.

The cancer studies will be conducted at the following locations:

Nov. 21 - Cancer Centers of SW Okla., 5-7:30 p.m.

Nov. 22 - Southwestern Medical Center, 7-9:30 a.m., and

Nov. 23 - Graham Resiliency Training Center, Fort Sill, 8-10:30 a.m.