Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and globally. During Lung Cancer Awareness Month this November, it’s important to encourage those at high risk to consider new screening options and take proactive steps towards prevention, detection, and early treatment.
According to the American Cancer Society, here in the U.S. an estimated 234,580 people (116,310 men and 118,270 women) will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2024, with a projected 125,070 people dying from the disease. While smoking is the primary driver of the disease, other risk factors include exposure to second hand smoking, radon gas (second leading cause), and asbestos. Certain occupational hazards can also increase your risk.
Lung cancer often progresses undetected, as symptoms typically emerge only after the disease has advanced, so proactive yearly screening of high-risk groups is an important way to dramatically enhance survival rates and save lives. Currently, the U.S. Preventative Task Force (USPSTF) recommends annual lung cancer screening for adults aged 50-80 years who smoked for 20 years (20 pack year history) or have quit within past 15 years. Unfortunately, however, the American Lung Association reports that Florida’s rate of screening of those at high risk was 2.4%, significantly lower than the national rate of 4.5%. Individuals who meets the USPTSF criteria can benefit from low-dose lung cancer screening at UF Health.
When diagnosed with lung cancer, the three major treatment modalities for patients are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In addition, modern treatments are also effective including immunotherapy and targeted therapy with infusion or oral drugs, depending on the certain lung cancer markers that may be found by special testing of the cancer tissue.
There are two major types of lung cancer: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Small Cell Lung cancer. The preferred treatment for a patient depends on several factors, including cell type of the cancer, underlying lung function, the extent of tumor spread to lymph nodes in the immediate area, and any cancer spread to other parts of the body. The earlier the stage at diagnosis, the better the chance of curing lung cancer.
Radiation therapy is a widely used treatment for lung cancer, employing high-energy X-rays to eradicate cancer cells or halt their proliferation. This treatment approach may incorporate one or multiple state-of-the-art radiation technologies to combat the disease. Radiation therapy is extremely effective in early-stage lung cancer, when surgery is prohibitive due to patient’s underlying health condition. Radiation is also used in more advanced lung cancer treatment in combination with chemotherapy for curative intent treatment.
At UF Health Radiation Oncology – Davis Cancer Pavilion, our state-of-the art treatment technologies feature advanced lung tumor tracking capabilities to treat both early stage and locally advanced lung cancer: Radiation treatment can be adjusted in real-time, reducing damage to surrounding healthy tissue and improving patient outcomes.
“At UF Health, we offer Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) to treat early-stage lung cancer with excellent treatment outcomes when surgery cannot be utilized,” explains Professor Tithi Biswas, MD. “For locally advanced lung cancer, we provide Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) in combination with chemotherapy, which is an effective approach to cure the cancer. To make treatment more effective and to protect the surrounding normal structures, we utilize daily imaging for better accuracy in the treatment delivery.”
In addition, new types of chemotherapy, in combination with radiotherapy, appear to stop a cancer cell from repairing damage to its DNA, killing the cancer. This approach may also help some anticancer drugs work better.
“We have an NCI-approved clinical trial in stage III lung cancer of a certain type, where a new and novel drug is being utilized to make chemotherapy and radiation to work more effectively,” said Dr. Biswas.
Lung cancer will be the focus of the 55th annual UF Radiation Oncology Research Seminar on February 28, 2025. The event will feature a special “From Consult to Cure: The Patient 360” panel presentation for all attendees focusing on the importance of local control in lung cancer. Our keynote speaker, Ramesh Rengan, MD, PhD, FASTRO, Professor and Chair in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Washington, will be joined on the panel by Dr. Hiren Mehta, Professor, UF Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine; Alex De Leo, MD, Assistant Professor, UF Department of Radiation Oncology; Romaine Charles Nichols, Jr., MD, Associate Professor, UF Health Proton Therapy Insitute; Sarah Graciani, RN, BSN, Oncology Nurse Navigator; Derly C Munoz, PT, physical therapist; and other special participants.
For information about Lung Cancer Awareness Month, visit the Lung Cancer Foundation of America website. To learn more about lung cancer screening and treatment at UF Health, visit the UFHealth.org website.
