New treatments and technologies make it possible to survive lung cancer

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the country. But it’s only in the last decade that medical professionals have even had guidelines to screen for it.

At the same time, doctors say the new treatments are a game-changer for patients like Catherine Hall. She was sleeping earlier this year, when suddenly she couldn’t catch her breath.

Her ex-husband rushed her to the hospital. With Catherine’s history of smoking, she was first treated for bronchitis. She was then sent for a CT scan, which revealed a large cancerous mass in her lung.

“It was directly at the hospital,” Catherine said. “All I could think of was how am I going to tell my family that I’m dying?” “

But then Dr John Ma, a radiation oncologist at Stormont Vail Cancer Center, walked into the room.

“He gave me hope – he really gave me hope,” Catherine said.

Dr. Ma described a treatment plan he called a “double whammy,” which meant attacking the cancer with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, simultaneously.

“Because technology has advanced so much, lung cancer is no longer a death sentence,” said Dr Ma.

Dr Ma says a big breakthrough over the past decade is the use of stereotaxic radiation, allowing doctors to more precisely strike cancer, even though the act of breathing essentially makes it a moving target.

“When you breathe deeply, the diaphragm comes out and the lung nodule – the cancer – goes up and down, so you have to consider the lowest position and the highest position. In other words, you are treating a much larger area, ”Dr Ma explained.“ Due to the technology, such as real-time tracking, and because radiation has a much smaller footprint, it is capable of achieving higher precision and accuracy, while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues or organs. “

Dr Daulath Singh, fellow oncologist at Stormont Vail, is also part of Catherine’s team. He added immune therapy to his arsenal.

“Cancer cells block the immune system, so the immune system cannot recognize cancer cells and kill them,” Dr. Singh said. “What immune therapy tries to do is remove this blockage so that the immune system becomes more active and can engage and kill cancer cells in the best possible way – in a way using your own defenses. natural against cancer. “

Another game changer is early detection. In 2013, the US Task Force on Preventive Services published its first recommendations for lung cancer screening. Earlier this year, they are updating them to broaden the criteria. He now suggests annual screening using a low-dose CT scan for people aged 50 to 80 who have smoked 20 or more packs in their lifetime and who still smoke or have quit in the past. Last 15 years.

“If we get cancer earlier, we can treat it sooner and have a higher cure rate,” Dr Singh said.

Less than a year after the diagnosis, Catherine finished radiation therapy and chemotherapy; continue immune therapy; and can’t wait to live.

“I arrived here in a wheelchair, and now I am able to walk thanks to all the staff here,” she said. “I thank the Lord, I thank the doctors, everyone (at the Cancer Center), every day. I cannot thank them enough. I really can not.

Doctors also remind everyone that prevention is the best defense. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, so stop now or better yet, don’t start.

The the second cause is radon. Radon is a radioactive gas that can enter homes through natural decomposition in the environment. Experts recommend testing your home for radon every two years. You can get a kit at home stores or through Kansas State University’s National Radon Program, https://sosradon.org/purchase-kits. The cost is $ 15 to $ 25.

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