Wellness Watch is a health information and advice column from OhioHealth.
OhioHeath O’Bleness Hospital will host a special Lung Cancer Screening Day on Saturday, March 1, offering extended weekend hours for the screening from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The team is providing lunch and gifts to registrants. A physician order is required. For more information and to register, call (740) 566-4547. Registration is open until February 17.
ATHENS, Ohio — Smoking causes one out of every five deaths in the United States, making it a leading preventable cause of mortality. Amber Hedrick, RN and Julie Torski, PA-C, from OhioHealth Cancer Care in Athens are committed to raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and the importance of lung cancer screening.
Tobacco’s connection to lung cancer
Most people understand that smoking is not a healthy decision. However, for many the long-term consequences can seem distant and abstract.
“The risk of developing lung cancer is 23 times higher among men who smoke and about 13 times higher among women who smoke compared to nonsmokers,” said Hedrick.
Many start smoking in their teenage years and don’t seek help to quit until much later.
“By the time they see us, they’re in their 60s,” said Hedrick. “That’s an over 40-year history of smoking, which is not great.”
Ten years after quitting, a person’s likelihood of dying from lung cancer is roughly 50% lower compared to someone who is an active tobacco user.
Smoking cessation resources
Torski and Hedrick discussed many methods available to help people quit smoking. Nicotine replacement therapies (gums, lozenges, mints and patches), nicotine inhalers, medications and behavioral counseling can all help.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation,” said Torski. “We have a wide variety of agents—just because you’ve tried something in the past that didn’t work, it doesn’t mean there isn’t something else that would be beneficial or helpful.”
Risk factors beyond smoking
Torski reiterated that everyone is aware on some level that smoking is bad for you and can increase your risk of lung cancer. However, tobacco use is not the only risk factor people should be focusing on.
“I think it’s a broader conversation that’s worth people having with their healthcare provider,” remarked Torski. “It’s not just smoking that increases your risk of lung cancer, there are other factors that we would say qualifies non-smokers to undergo screening.”
These risk factors include:
Occupational exposure to asbestos and radon
Family history
Underlying lung diseases
Chronic secondhand smoke exposure
Early detection and screening
Though screening is more accessible and convenient than ever, many still wait until it is too late.
“I think the hesitancy often comes from an anxiety and a fear of not wanting to know,” Torski said. “On the flip side, diagnosing a lung cancer early makes it much more treatable and even curable compared to something that is more advanced and has already spread.”
Talking to your medical provider is the best first step when considering screening.
“The current guidelines are that it’s recommended for anyone over the age of 50 with at least a 20-year history of smoking to get screened,” according to Torski.
Lung cancer is often preventable and treatable when caught early. Taking steps to quit smoking, minimize other risk factors and be proactive with screenings can make all the difference.
