Lung cancer isn’t a death sentence – if it’s caught early

St. Tammany Health System is offering a $119 special on lung cancer screenings through the month of November in recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Call STHS Lung Screening Coordinator Lori Chopin at 985-871-LUNG (5864) for scheduling. (Stock image)

By STHS Communication Department

You’ve heard the grim statistics, and probably more than once: Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer and will kill an estimated 2,330 Louisianians in 2020 alone.

To make matters worse, of all 64 Louisiana parishes, St. Tammany Parish has some of the highest rates of combined cancer incidences, with 490.4 cases per 100,000 residents, according to figures provided by the LSU School of Public Health.

Washington Parish is just behind with 477.4 cases per 100,000 people, which is still above the state average – which happens to be above the national average.

But what you might not know is that lung cancer isn’t necessarily a death sentence – if it’s caught early enough.

In fact, screening for lung cancer with annual low-dose CT scans can reduce the cancer death rate among those at high risk by as much as 20 percent by detecting tumors at early stages when they are more likely to be curable.

And now, with November being Lung Cancer Awareness Month, lung cancer screenings are easier to get – and cheaper – than ever through St. Tammany Health System, which is offering lung screenings for $119 all month.

(Screenings are performed via low-dose CT scan at St. Tammany Health System’s Paul D. Cordes Outpatient Pavilion, 16300 Highway 1085 in Covington. Call STHS Lung Screening Coordinator Lori Chopin at 985-871-LUNG for scheduling.)

Below, find additional facts on lung cancer and cancer screenings, and remember: screenings save lives.

Just the facts

• Cancer is second-leading cause of death in the US behind heart disease. Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and accounts for the largest number of cancer deaths among men (26%) and women (25%).
• The American Cancer Society estimates 3,700 new cases of lung and bronchus cancer will be detected in Louisiana in 2020. They also estimate 2,330 Louisianans will die from lung cancer in 2020.
• According to the American Lung Association, the rate of new lung cancer cases in Louisiana is 67.9 and significantly higher than the national rate of 59.6. It ranks 38th among all states, placing it in the below-average tier. 
• Tobacco use is the leading risk factor for lung cancer, although environmental exposures can increase the risk as well, so not everyone with lung cancer has a history of tobacco use.
• The smoking rate in Louisiana is 23.1% and significantly higher than the national rate of 16.4%. It ranks 49th among all states, placing it in the bottom tier.

Time is everything

• Most lung cancer cases are diagnosed at later stages when the cancer has spread to other organs – and when treatment options are less likely to be curative, meaning lower survival rates, according to the American Lung Association website.
• Nationally, only 21.5 percent of cases are caught early when the five-year survival rate is much higher (57.7 percent). Unfortunately, most cases (48.5 percent) are not caught until a late stage when the survival rate is only 6 percent.
• Louisiana ranks 41st among the 48 states with data on diagnosis at an early stage, placing it in the below-average tier.

The skinny on screenings

Screening for lung cancer with annual low-dose CT scans among those considered high-risk can reduce the lung cancer death rate by as much as 20 percent. High-risk patients are defined as those who are:

• 55 to 80 years old;
• Have a 30 pack-year history of smoking (one pack a day for 30 years, two packs a day for 15 years, etc.);
• AND, are a current smoker, or have quit within the last 15 years.