Lung Cancer

We're here through each phase of your care, with services that support you physically and emotionally, including:

• Genetic counseling.
• Healing care.
• Nurse navigators.
• Survivorship program.

We know cancer treatment can feel overwhelming. We want you to focus on getting better, not trying to keep tests, treatment and doctors straight. A member of your care team or a personal nurse navigator will guide you through every step of treatment, including:

• Working side-by-side with you to ensure compassionate, supportive and individualized care.
• Scheduling/coordinating appointments and helping to reduce the amount of time from diagnosis to treatment.
• Providing education and support to you and your family.
• Facilitating/coordinating care provided by an interdisciplinary team of physicians, including medical, surgical and radiation oncology consults.
• Working on behalf of you and your family to remove possible obstacles to care, including insurance issues, medication assistance or lack of transportation.
• Communicating with your physician and helping to communicate the physician's plan of care.

When you come to ProMedica for care, you'll have a whole team rooting and working for you. With expert medical, radiation and surgical oncologists, oncology nurses, pharmacists, genetic counselors, therapists and more, you'll have all the support you need along the way.

Our goal is to provide you with today's most promising diagnostics, treatments and services. We work hard to stay on the leading-edge of medicine because your healing is our top priority.

When you need us most, you can count on the accredited and nationally recognized services provided through the ProMedica Cancer Institute, which houses the largest cancer registry in the region. These accreditations show that we consistently demonstrate the highest standards of care and connect patients to a vast network of diagnostic, treatment and support resources.

Smoking is the single greatest risk factor for lung cancer. Smoking damages the tissues in your lungs to the point where your body can't repair itself anymore. Even secondhand smoke is dangerous.

Beyond the dangers of smoking, other risk factors can include:

• A family history of lung cancer.
• A history of cancer in another part of your body.
• Being over the age of 50.
• Exposure to radon, asbestos or other industrial chemicals.
• Other diseases in the lungs.
• Previous radiation therapy.

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do to prevent lung cancer. Quitting at any age can greatly lower your risk for lung cancer.

Other ways to prevent lung cancer include:

• Be aware of chemical exposure. Talk to your employer about worksite wellness and safety procedures.
• Have your home tested for radon. Radon is a natural gas in rock, soil and water. It can collect in unsafe levels in any building.
• Know your family history. If lung cancer runs in your family, talk to your doctor.

Learn more about Tobacco Cessation.

Because lung cancer shows very few signs early on, many people get diagnosed after it's already progressed. This makes early detection key to survival.

A simple, low-dose CT scan to screen for lung cancer takes less than 15 minutes. Talk with your doctor about your lung cancer risk. Together, you can create a screening schedule that's right for you.

Most major insurance plans (including Medicare) cover this screening for people at high risk for lung cancer. You'll need a doctor's order.

Your doctor may recommend a low-dose CT scan if you are age 50-80 who:

• Currently smokes OR has quit smoking within the last 15 years AND who have a 20 pack-year smoking history.
• Smoked at least one pack of cigarettes a day for the past 30 years OR smoked at least two packs a day for 15 years.

If you would like to schedule a screening, obtain an order from your doctor and call our central scheduling at 419-291-3000 or 800-479-8805.

In the early stages of lung cancer, people typically show few signs. However, in some cases, these signs have been known to signal lung cancer:

• A constant or wet smoker’s cough.
• Bone pain.
• Chest, shoulder or back pain.
• Coughing up blood.
• Headaches.
• Hoarseness or other changes in voice.
• Repeated lung infections.
• Trouble swallowing.
• Weight loss.

Since a lot of these signs can point to other health conditions, many people don't even think about having lung cancer. That's why, if you're at a higher risk, you should be on the lookout for any of the signs.

If you're over age 55 and have ever smoked, talk with your doctor right away if you have any of the signs.

If your doctor suspects you have lung cancer, there are a wide variety of tests to help rule out or confirm your diagnosis. Often, you'll be asked to have more than one of these tests. Used together, they can give your doctors a clear picture of your lung health.

• Biopsies.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests.
• Molecular tests.
• Positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
• X-rays.

At ProMedica, we strive to provide you with the best possible care – and that starts with state-of-the-art screenings and diagnostics. With the high-quality equipment and technology available today, you can expect an accurate diagnosis.

From your primary care provider to the specialists who analyze your test results, we'll work together to make it a seamless process for you. And because we know that waiting for test results can sometimes be the most stressful part of your journey, we work hard to share your results quickly, with compassion.

To schedule your diagnostic tests, call our lung cancer patient navigator at 419-824-8851.

If you've been diagnosed with lung cancer, our experts are here for you with a range of choices to get you on the path to recovery.

Surgery is a common treatment for non-small cell lung cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body. You may also be referred to a thoracic surgeon for a lung biopsy for diagnosis and cancer staging. It's also often combined with other forms of treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation.

Your lung cancer treatment may include:

• Lung biopsy: Tests a sample of tissue from the lungs to look for lung disease, cancer or another conditions.
• Chemotherapy: Kills cancer cells.
• Radiation: Shrinks and kills cancer cells.
• Hormone therapy: Adds, blocks or removes hormones to slow or stop the growth of hormone-sensitive cancers.
• Immunotherapy (also known as biotherapy): Helps your body fight cancer and other diseases using substances made from living organisms.
• Surgery: Removes the lymph nodes and healthy tissue surrounding the cancer.
• Thoracic surgery: Removes damaged or diseased lung tissue.
• Lobectomy: Removes one of the lobes of the lung.
• Bilobectomy: Removes two of the lobes in the right lung.
• Wedge resection: Removes part of the lung.
• Pneumonectomy: Removes the lung.