Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., but screening and research have the potential to save thousands of lives. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. Tim Kruser, a radiation oncologist at SSM Health, says survival rates can improve with screening.
“If you’re at high risk, lung cancer screening may lead to catching it early enough that we can start treatment and save your life,” says Dr. Kruser. “Lung cancer tends to have a low survival rate because it's often diagnosed in later stages when it's less curable. Early screening is key. For example, the cure rate for very early stage lung cancer is 80 to 90%.“
What are the risk factors for lung cancer?
“Though we associate lung cancer with smoking, the truth is that anyone can get lung cancer,” said Dr. Kruser.
The risk factors include:
- smoking
- exposure to radon gas
- air pollution
- secondhand smoke
- having a family history
Treatment for lung cancer
In addition to screening with low-dose CT scans annually, researchers continue to develop new drugs and treatments. Patients can undergo comprehensive testing to identify treatments that are more effective for their specific lung cancer. If doctors know exactly what causes the tumor to grow, a patient may be able to go on a targeted therapy that can slow tumor growth or shrink the tumor.
Signs and symptoms of lung cancer
- coughing that gets worse or doesn't go away
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- wheezing
- coughing up blood
- feeling tired all the time
- weight loss with no known cause
Though smoking is the number one risk factor, Dr. Kruser says you can still reduce your risk by quitting.
“Even if you’ve smoked for many years, you can cut your risk by 50 percent 10 to 15 years after quitting,” he said.
Dr. Kruser appeared on Madison, Wisconsin’s ABC affiliate to talk about lung cancer screening. Watch the full interview.
