Although Utahns do not smoke tobacco at the rate of Americans in most states, it doesn’t mean they are not vulnerable to lung cancer and disease. In fact, Utah is one of five states where more than 1% of lung cancers are likely caused by exposure to air pollution. A 2018 study estimated that 16 Utahns are diagnosed with lung cancer directly attributable to pollution in the air and that over 100 Utahns die every year from causes directly attributable to pollution.
Besides smoking – the primary cause of lung cancer – 10-15 percent of lung cancers can be attributable to occupational exposures and about 5 percent of lung cancers are attributable to secondhand smoke.
Since November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, MountainStar Healthcare is focusing on screening and prevention. That’s because only 2 percent of eligible Utahns have been screened for the cancer.
Dr. Michael Bourne, a board-certified pulmonologist at Pulmonary Medicine at St. Mark’s Hospital, a MountainStar Healthcare practice, joined FOX13’s The PLACE on Tuesday to discuss what Utahns need to know about potentially lifesaving lung cancer screenings.
Originally from Salt Lake City, Dr. Bourne graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in upstate New York and completed his training in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Dr. Bourne has particular interest and expertise in interstitial lung disease (lung fibrosis or scarring), bronchoscopic procedures, pleural diseases (fluid buildup around the lungs), difficult-to-control asthma, and critical care medicine.
“Regular lung cancer screenings are crucial in helping detect the cancer as early as possible. Detecting cancer early makes it more treatable, which results in better outcomes for patients,” explained Dr. Bourne. “Screenings save lives!”
The American Cancer Society estimates about 238,340 new cases of lung cancer (117,550 in men and 120,790 in women) in the U.S. in 2023 and about 127,070 deaths attributed to the cancer (67,160 in men and 59,910 in women) during the same time period.
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States (not counting skin cancer). In men, prostate cancer is more common, while in women breast cancer is more common.
Lung Cancer Screening Recommendations
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that adults aged 50 to 80 years who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years should screen for lung cancer every year with low-dose computed tomography (CT). A “pack-year” is smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. For example, a person could have a 20 pack-year history by smoking one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years.
During an LDCT scan, a patient lies on a flat table that slides back and forth inside the hole in the middle of the CT scanner (a large, circle-shaped machine) and, as the table moves into the opening, an X-ray machine uses a low dose of radiation to make detailed images of the lungs. The scan only takes a few minutes and is not painful.
Some people with a smoking history may blame themselves or feel that other people blame them for being at risk for lung cancer. It’s important to know that lung cancer can be caused by many different things. This should not deter potential patients from being screened if they fit the high-risk criteria.
Scheduling your screening at St. Mark’s Hospital
1. Talk with your Primary Care Provider (PCP) and have them order a “Low Dose CT” (LDCT).
2. Your provider must write an order for a LDCT scan. The order can then be faxed to St. Mark’s Hospital.
3. Check with your insurance for coverage.
4. You will receive a call to schedule your appointment.
Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer
Most people who get lung cancer do not develop symptoms until the disease has progressed and spread, which decreases the chance of survival. When found sooner, the survival rate increases.
By the time someone notices symptoms of lung cancer, it may already be serious. However, if patients go to their doctor when they first notice symptoms, the cancer might be diagnosed at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be effective.
The most common symptoms of lung cancer are:
· A cough that does not go away or gets worse
· Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm)
· Chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
· Hoarseness
· Loss of appetite
· Unexplained weight loss
· Shortness of breath
· Feeling tired or weak
· Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that don’t go away or that keeps coming back
· New onset of wheezing
If lung cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it may cause:
· Bone pain (like pain in the back or hips)
· Nervous system changes (such as headache, weakness or numbness of an arm or leg, dizziness, balance problems, or seizures), from cancer spread to the brain
· Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), from cancer spread to the liver
· Swelling of lymph nodes (collection of immune system cells) such as those in the neck or above the collarbone
Pulmonary Services
At Pulmonary Medicine at St. Mark's Hospital, health care colleagues specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of lung conditions and diseases. Pulmonary doctors are dedicated to helping patients breathe better – it’s why the pulmonologists and staff work to create a comfortable environment for each patient and involve them as much as possible in their care plan.
Pulmonologists at St. Mark’s Hospital provide specialized care for patients suffering from lung conditions such as:
· Asthma
· Emphysema
· Acute bronchitis
· COPD
· Pneumonia
· Cystic fibrosis
· Tuberculosis
Offered lung diagnostic tests that help determine how well lungs are working also include, but are not limited to arterial blood gas studies, pulmonary function tests, lung volume capacity tests, pulse oximetry, and night pulse oximetry.
Pulmonary Medicine at St. Mark’s Hospital
1160 East 3900 South Suite 4050
Salt Lake City, UT 84124
For more information, visit StMarksPulmonary.com or call (801) 270-4112.
