Whether you’re looking to reduce your risks of lung cancer, schedule a screening, or have a lung nodule that needs attention, you have a team dedicated to your lung health at Great Falls Clinic and Hospital. Here’s what every Montanan needs to know about lung cancer, how to prevent it, and how to get timely treatment.
What Is Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is caused by cells in your lungs mutating or growing uncontrollably. The cancer may stay contained to your lungs, or it might spread to other parts of your body.
There are two main types of lung cancer:
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common form of lung cancer, with the American Cancer Society estimating that 80-85% of lung cancers are NSCLC. NSCLC tends to spread slower, but early detection and treatment are just as important as with any kind of cancer.1
- Small cell lung cancer (SCLC): Small cell lung cancer is a more aggressive form of lung cancer that spreads more quickly than its non-small cell counterpart. SCLC does tend to respond well to chemotherapy and radiation, though it often returns at some point even after treatment. The American Cancer Society estimates that 10-15% of lung cancers are SCLC.1
What Causes Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer can happen to anyone, but certain factors put you at higher risk2:
- Smoking: It’s no secret that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Even if you used to smoke but gave it up, you’re still at an elevated risk. People who have never smoked can also get lung cancer if they’re frequently around secondhand smoke, so the message is clear: smoke leads to lung cancer, period.
- Radon Exposure: Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.3 It’s a naturally occurring radioactive gas that seeps up into buildings from the ground, and can lead to lung cancer when you’re exposed over long periods of time. Radon occurs everywhere, but the EPA has found particularly high levels here in Montana.4
- Exposure to hazardous chemicals and particle pollution: If you work in the trades, you might be exposed to hazardous chemicals like asbestos, uranium, and arsenic, or particulate matter in the air like exhaust smoke. Breathing these in can cause several lung problems, including cancer.
- Genetics: Just like any other cancer, a family history of lung cancer means you might be at a higher risk of getting the disease.
What Are the Symptoms of Lung Cancer?
Common symptoms of lung cancer include5:
- A persistent cough that won’t seem to go away
- Coughing up blood or reddish phlegm
- Chest pain that gets worse when you breathe in deeply, cough, or laugh
- Wheezing or shortness of breath
- Hoarseness and long-lasting changes in your voice
- Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss
- Frequent respiratory infections that keep coming back, like pneumonia and bronchitis
When lung cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it can cause even more severe symptoms, such as:
- Unexplained bone pain
- Severe headaches
- Dizziness or trouble balancing
- Weak or numb arms and legs
- Yellow skin and eyes, also called jaundice
- Swollen lymph nodes along your neck or collarbone
Remember: If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have lung cancer. Your Great Falls Clinic provider can help you get to the bottom of your symptoms and figure out the treatment path ahead.
How Can I Prevent Lung Cancer?
There are a handful of lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of lung cancer. Some of them are easy, some of them are more difficult, but every step you take can make a real impact on your lung health.
- Stop smoking: Take it from the American Lung Association: quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do for your lung health.2 Limiting your exposure to secondhand smoke can also help reduce your risks, whether you’re a smoker or not.
- Make a plan to reduce radon: You can’t see or smell radon, so the only way to know your exposure is to test your home. You can request a free radon test kit right here, courtesy of Montana’s radon control program. If the test shows high levels of radon in your home, investing in a radon mitigation system can dramatically reduce the amount of radon you’re exposed to daily.
- Suit up against hazardous chemicals and particle pollution: If you can’t avoid chemicals and particles at work, make sure you wear personal protective equipment like N95 respirators. See OSHA’s recommendations to keep your lungs protected on the jobsite.
- Share your family history with your doctor: If lung cancer runs in the family, make sure you mention it to your doctor. Your doctor may suggest lung screenings to monitor your lungs over the years.
How Can I Get Screened for Lung Cancer?
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends yearly lung screenings if you meet all of the criteria below6:
- You’re between the ages of 55-77 (or 55-80 for some insurance plans)
- You have a 20 pack-year history of smoking
- Multiply the number of packs you smoke(d) per day by the number of years you smoked. If the sum is 20 or greater, you have a 20 pack-year history of smoking.
- Example 1: You smoked one pack a day for 20 years (1 x 20 = 20)
- Example 2: You smoked two packs a day for 10 years (2 x 10 = 20)
- Multiply the number of packs you smoke(d) per day by the number of years you smoked. If the sum is 20 or greater, you have a 20 pack-year history of smoking.
- You still smoke, or you quit less than 15 years ago
- You don’t have any current symptoms of cancer
If you meet all of these criteria, call 406-454-2171 to schedule your screening at Great Falls.
Ion Endoluminal System: Earlier Detection Transforms Lung Cancer Treatment
Like with any cancer, early detection gives you the best fighting chance against lung cancer. Great Falls Hospital is Montana’s leading provider of advanced, robotic-assisted bronchoscopies using the Ion Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy System from Intuitive, providing patients with earlier answers about their lung health.
The Ion is a robotic navigation system for minimally invasive peripheral lung biopsies, enabling our providers to achieve greater precision and control when collecting tissue samples from deep in the lungs. With this advanced technology, Great Falls Clinic and Hospital patients can get more precise answers about their lung health and start their path to treatment sooner.
Great Falls Hospital is the only hospital in Central Montana to offer patients this advanced technology, and we perform more Ion procedures than any other hospital in the state. With Ion and years of leadership in lung health, Dr. Megan Sisk, pulmonologist and critical care physician, along with the rest of the Great Falls pulmonology team are moving the detection and treatment of lung cancer forward for our community.
Explore Lung Cancer Treatment at Great Falls Clinic
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to lung cancer treatment. Your physician will explore several treatment options, depending on your specific diagnosis, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.
Whatever option you choose, you have full support at Great Falls Clinic Lung Center and Great Falls Clinic Cancer Center. We offer a wide range of oncology services for lung cancer patients, with a multidisciplinary team of specialists from various fields, working together to meet your unique needs.
Find a New Standard for Lung Cancer Care at Great Falls Hospital
Lung health is a lifelong journey, and Great Falls Clinic and Hospital are here to support you at every step. Call us at 406-454-2171 or visit https://gfclinic.com/department/pulmonology-lung-center/.
Sources:
- What Is Lung Cancer? American Cancer Society.
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/about/what-is.html - Lung Cancer Causes & Risk Factors. American Lung Association.
https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/basics/what-causes-lung-cancer - Health Risks of Radon. Environmental Protection Agency.
https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon - Montana – EPA Map of Radon Zones. Environmental Protection Agency.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-08/documents/montana.pdf - Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html
- Screening for Lung Cancer. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/lung-cancer/screening/index.html