Key points from today’s guests:
Erin Terwillinger, Genentech, Inc.
- Early detection of lung cancer can really help save a person’s life.
- The giant inflatable lung display helps spread awareness about lung cancer.
Dr. Chao Huang, medical oncologist, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- The deadliest cancer in America is far less fatal when you catch it early, but more than 90 percent of people who should be getting screened are not.
- For lung cancer, only 6 percent of people at high risk of developing the disease are getting a low dose CT scan. If more people got lung screenings, we can save thousands of lives every year.
- The inflatable lungs can show a visible representation of issues in the lungs, such as asthma, pulmonary embolism, lymph nodes, and late-stage cancer which can be seen outside the lung.
- Lung cancer does occur in non-smokers, so if you have symptoms, get screened so anything can be caught early.
Dr. Alykhan Nagji, thoracic surgeon, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Essentially a low dose CT scan takes a few minutes. You'll answer a couple questions from our nurse practitioners who actually run the program and then you'll go through the scanner. The results usually are ready within a day.
- There's about a 20 percent chance that if we do find a cancer, it's going to be fairly localized. There’s another 20 percent chance that it may be regionalized, meaning in the area but not too far spread. The earlier we were able to find something, the earlier we can act on it.
- Be a patient advocate for yourself for your own health, just like you're checking your cholesterol or you're checking your blood pressure. You’ve got to check your lungs.
- It is important to advocate for access to care. Make sure you get with your politicians you get with your local representatives and really advocate for that aspect, because the better care we have, the better access we have to everything.
Dr. Krishna Reddy, M.D., Ph.D., radiation oncologist, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Those who should get screened include basically anybody who is a current or former smoker who has at least 20 PAC years of smoking history is eligible for a low dose screening CT. This is a big change from the prior guidelines.
- Anytime someone is going for a screening test, there's a little bit of anxiety involved, but just like with the screening tests like colonoscopies and mammograms, they have been around for a very long time – it’s just a part of keeping healthy.
- When someone has an early stage localized lung cancer and they're not a candidate for surgery, we have an excellent alternative now called stereotactic body radiation treatment which is just a very targeted high dose of blade of intense radiation.
- It targets the tumor very precisely to destroy the tumor and causing the least amount of damage to surrounding tissue.
- We have an outstanding multi-disciplinary lung team with treatments for early stage
Jenny Johnson, living with stage IV lung cancer
- Jenny is a non-smoker who was diagnosed with lung cancer five years ago after experiencing sinus congestion issues.
- Not only did she have cancer in her left, lower, and middle lobes of her lungs, but the cancer spread to her brain with 26 lesions.
- Part of her treatment plan involved EGFR testing, which allowed her to be on a targeted immunotherapy pill.
- She was given a prognosis of 3-6 years, but the pill had wonderful effects.
- She is now 5 years into that prognosis living a wonderful life with encouraging test results.
- Jenny is proud of her support structure and is glad she had the team at the Cancer Center advocating for her. She encourages others to get checked if they do not feel right.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention & control, The University of Kansas Health System
- COVID numbers this week are at 16 inpatients, which is in line with previous weeks.
- His father passed away earlier this year from stage IV lung cancer underscoring the importance of screening.
- It's not just talking about doing the screening, but it is talking about getting access to care. We know that there are so many people and populations out there without the access to care. So we really need to advocate for that as well.
Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 8 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. We’ll be presenting an encore one of our special cancer programs that aired on KCTV-5 and WIBW TV in October. It’s the special story of a young man who put his pro baseball career on hold to help his sister.
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