HERMISTON, Ore.-November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness, share knowledge and inspire action on a global scale.
Lung cancer awareness remains relatively low, even though it causes more cancer deaths worldwide each year than any other form of cancer. According to the Lung Cancer Awareness Month Coalition (LCAM), 1.8 million people a year die from lung cancer, and that number is expected to increase to 3.2 million by 2045.
“Lung cancer is often diagnosed in advanced stages, so the goal is to diagnose lung cancer at an early stage,” said Board-Certified Pulmonologist Peter Hahn with Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS).
Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer, with genetics, environment and occupation all playing factors, according to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). About 20 percent of lung cancer cases occur in people with very little or no smoking history.
GSHCS Pulmonology in Hermiston recently performed the first ION Robotic Bronchoscopy in the region, a procedure that uses 3D imaging to locate and perform biopsies on lung nodules.
“It’s a world class technology that allows us to go deep into the lung, to even very small nodules that we can biopsy and then also stage lung cancer in the same settings,” said Dr. Hahn, who recently co-authored “Diagnostic patterns after adoption of shape sensing robotic assisted bronchoscopy: a retrospective cohort study,” a paper published in the Annals of Medicine and Surgery, that demonstrates how robotic bronchoscopy leads to the earlier diagnosis of lung cancer.
Using information from a patient’s CT scan, the ION system creates a detailed 3D map of the airway allowing doctors to use an ultrathin catheter with shape sensing technology to reach and biopsy small nodules throughout the lungs.
November is almost over, but screening for lung cancer and early detection are crucial, as over 225,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, according to AACR.
“Using the ION Robotic Bronchoscopy, we’re able to diagnose cancer early, making patients eligible to have a really wide range of potential therapies, and that’s the key to improve survival, the key to getting you back to your life,” said Dr. Hahn.
The holidays can be a good reminder to speak with your healthcare provider about lung cancer screening options.
GSHCS Pulmonology may be reached online or at 541.667.3868
