With 'huge, huge' number of lung cancer cases, doctors stress that early detection is key

• Lung cancer screening and prevention was the topic of a health event held by Olympus Corps. of the Americas
• The Center Valley company partnered with the American Lung Association for the educational engagement
• The survival rate for lung cancer is greater when found early

UPPER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — Lung cancer in the United States accounts for the same number of deaths as prostate, breast and colorectal combined, Dr. Debra Stahlnecker told a gathering at Olympus Corp. of the Americas, or OCA, this week.

"That's a huge, huge number," Stahlnecker, medical director for St. Luke’s University Health Network Interventional Pulmonary Program, said.

"That's the deaths. Nearly twice as many, about 240,000, are diagnosed with lung cancer.”

That's one reason OCA is making it a priority to inform its staff and the community about lung cancer during Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

OCA invited speakers from the American Lung Association and St. Luke’s University Health Network to “Breathing Life into Lung Cancer Awareness,” an event to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and provide a better understanding of eligibility around screening guidelines.

'Importance of lung cancer screening'

Tonya Resutek, executive director of respiratory marketing for OCA, said the program informed those in attendance and onFacebook Live, “on the importance of lung cancer screening and how it could save their lives or the lives of someone they care about.”

During the event, health care professionals spoke to a room of about 150 Olympus staff members about lung cancer and the technology used for screenings.

“Olympus is a leader in lung cancer diagnosis and staging through our platform of EBUS TBNA, which is mouthful, but it stands for endo bronchial ultrasound with trans bronchial needle aspiration,” Resutek said.

She said it’s the guideline-recommended first test for lung cancer diagnosis and staging.

“So essentially what happens with that particular procedure is once a patient has this potential suspicious nodule that they see on a CT, and they're referred to a pulmonologist, a pulmonologist can perform this minimally invasive procedure to help the patient get the information they need to make the right treatment decisions with their physician,” Resutek said.

Signs, and seeing a doctor

Stahlnecker, who's also chief of the Critical Care Intensive Care Unit at St. Luke’s Hospital Anderson Campus and clinical assistant professor at Temple University School of Medicine, was among the program's keynote speakers.

“This is a topic that I unfortunately deal with far too often in my world and I'm really hoping that all of us together can get us into a position where it's not as devastating as a disease as it is in our lives today,” Stahlnecker said.

She said the point of getting the information out is so people will see a doctor as soon as they suspect a sign of lung cancer.

The American Lung Association says symptoms include a cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time, hoarseness, constant chest pain, shortness of breath or wheezing, frequent lung infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia, or coughing up blood.

Those who smoke are at greater risk, but air pollution is also a large contributing factor.

"If we can empower our staff and our team to be able to have life-saving conversations with their communities and their spheres of influence and their families, it only helps to further expand our impact of people that we're able to help,” Resutek said.

According to Stahlnecker and the American Lung Association, early detection has the best outcome for those diagnosed with lung cancer.