All articles tagged with #lung cancer
A Utah mother of five with Stage 4 lung cancer underwent surgery to remove her right lung and has been placed on the transplant list, with ongoing hospitalization and care.
A UK woman, Jade Fardon, diagnosed in 2022 at age 29 with stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer despite never smoking, was treated with a targeted drug that shrank tumors. She later developed brain metastases requiring gamma knife radiotherapy and brain surgery, and after progression she switched to new medication and ongoing monitoring. She remains active in work and fundraising while raising awareness that lung cancer can affect young, non-smokers.
Lung cancer can stay silent for years, so screening with annual low-dose CT is advised for adults aged 50–80 who have at least 20 pack-years of smoking and either currently smoke or quit within 15 years. LDCT helps detect tiny tumors before symptoms appear, but not all nodules are cancer and screening can cause anxiety or unnecessary tests. Non-smokers may still be at risk due to pollution, occupational exposures, or genetics, so discussing risk with a doctor is important. Quitting smoking remains the best way to reduce risk.
A 75-year-old who quit smoking years earlier learned he had stage 1 lung cancer via a routine Medicare-backed low-dose CT screening, underwent robotic surgery and targeted therapy, and remains cancer-free for now; his case highlights that lung cancer screening can save lives but remains underused due to complex eligibility rules, stigma, and access barriers, prompting calls to broaden guidelines while balancing potential downsides.
Rising lung cancer diagnoses among non-smokers are linked to outdoor air pollution and indoor smoke from cooking and fuels, with genetic factors also playing a role; experts urge cleaner cooking fuels, better indoor ventilation, avoidance of secondhand smoke, and proactive screening to improve early detection and outcomes.
Heather Suchan, a non-smoker and mother of two, saw persistent coughs dismissed by doctors before a bronchoscopy confirmed Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer with an EGFR mutation. After a PET scan revealed widespread disease, she underwent a multi-drug treatment plan including chemotherapy and a targeted drug amivantamab, now administered subcutaneously, which has led to no disease progression and regression of cancer in the liver and bones, allowing her to return to work while continuing treatment.
A TOI Health piece explains that while smoking is the main preventable lung-cancer risk, other factors—indoor radon, air pollution, secondhand smoke, and workplace exposures—also raise risk. Quitting tobacco remains the strongest prevention, with risk decreasing over time; vaping is not risk-free, and switching to other forms of tobacco doesn’t eliminate danger. Prevention includes testing for radon, improving home ventilation, and reducing exposure at work, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For some high-risk adults, annual low-dose CT screening may help detect cancer earlier, but screening should be personalized by a clinician and follow country-specific guidelines.
Barry Manilow abruptly canceled his Lexington, Kentucky concert just 45 minutes before showtime, with the date later rescheduled; all previously purchased tickets will be honored when a new date is announced, and he remains slated to perform in Cincinnati the following night. The 83-year-old has been managing health issues after lung cancer surgery earlier this year.
A reader asks about a friend with metastatic lung cancer who had a stroke and developed DIC; Dr. Roach explains DIC is a serious but potentially treatable cancer‑related complication and that there are cancer-directed options (surgery if feasible, radiation, chemotherapy) and specific DIC treatments, so sending a patient home to die shouldn’t be the default. The column also touches on perennial rhinitis treatment, noting nasal cromolyn is very safe and can be effective for some, with additional options (steroids, immunotherapy, Atrovent, montelukast, saline washes, Xolair) depending on the case.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, with NSCLC making up 80–85% of cases. Annual low-dose CT screening is recommended for adults 50–80 with a 20-pack-year history to detect cancer early. Comprehensive genomic profiling (biomarker testing) identifies actionable targets in many NSCLC cases, guiding personalized treatment and helping choose the best options—often after CGP results are available. Patients and families should advocate for CGP and awareness of screening, as early detection and precision medicine drive better outcomes.
Oncologists warn that vaping may fuel a future rise in lung cancer because e-cigarette aerosols carry carcinogens and metals that damage lung tissue; with vaping popular among teens, long-term risk is a growing concern. Early warning signs should not be ignored, and stopping vaping plus avoiding secondhand exposure is advised. If cancer is suspected, low-dose CT screening and biopsy guide diagnosis and enable personalised treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and SBRT.
A 68-year-old Merseyside woman, Chris Jones, has become the first in the world to receive a personalized vaccine for advanced non-small cell lung cancer in an early-stage trial at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. The vaccine uses DNA derived from her tumour to create a patient-specific immunotherapy, delivered alongside her standard treatment in a seven-dose, 24-week regimen. Researchers hope it boosts the immune response and overcomes resistance to current immunotherapy, with results assessed after six weeks; only 10 participants are taking part in this world-first study led by Professors Ottensmeier and Savelyeva.
A 44-year-old mom with no smoking history develops persistent breathlessness and is diagnosed with stage 4 alk-positive lung cancer. She responds to targeted therapies that block cancer growth, survives years beyond typical expectations, and becomes an advocate for alk-positive patients, highlighting how precision medicine can extend life and improve quality of life.
Summer Farmen, a 44-year-old Pennsylvania mom with three kids, began experiencing severe breathlessness in early 2020 and was diagnosed with stage 4 alk-positive lung cancer—a rare, non-hereditary mutation highly treatable with targeted therapy. Though prognosis was grim, she has lived more than six years and become a patient advocate through Alk Positive Inc., funding research, leading support programs, and educating others about treatment options and clinical trials while continuing regular scans and treatment.
David Peterson, a Capitol Hill resident with Stage 4 lung cancer, received a rare double-lung transplant at Northwestern Medicine under the DREAM program—the only U.S. center offering this for Stage 4 cases. A JAMA study showed 100% one-year survival for transplant recipients versus about 40% for those who did not receive a transplant, underscoring the potential to dramatically extend life for patients with cancer confined to the lungs.