GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer in the United States, but doctors said it’s the deadliest.
As part of our “Ask the Expert” series, in partnership with Bon Secours St. Francis, 7NEWS spoke with a doctor about how early detection could save a life.
About 1 in 5 cancer-related deaths in the United States is due to lung cancer. And that really is because of the fact that it is often found in an advanced stage where it is diagnosed very late after it’s spread locally or has metastasized or spread somewhere else,” said Dr. Nathanael Phillips.
Dr. Phillips has been studying pulmonology for several years and emphasized the significant difference early detection can make in survival rates.
“Lung cancer screening and early detection can be the difference between life and death,” said Dr. Phillips. “The difference between somebody that’s diagnosed early on in the process, stage one, about 90% of those people will survive at five years, versus stage four, when it’s caught more often, about 10% of those people will survive at five years.”
So, what can be done to improve these odds? According to Dr. Phillips, the key is early detection through annual screenings.
“Every year. Similarly to breast cancer, where people will get a mammogram once a year for screening. That low-dose CT scan is the way that we screen for lung cancer,” explained Dr. Phillips. “Anyone 50 years or older who has a smoking history should absolutely get screened.”
Despite the importance of screenings, health experts say lung cancer often goes undetected until it’s in advanced stages. This is because health experts said the symptoms can be subtle and easily mistaken for something less serious.
“The reason that it’s often caught late is because people will not have symptoms related to lung cancer,” said Dr. Phillips. “When they have symptoms, it typically would be nonspecific symptoms. So things like a cough, chest pain, or weight loss are the most common.”
While smoking remains the largest risk factor for lung cancer, there are other contributing factors, including family history and environmental exposure.
“In patients that have a history of wood burning, wood-burning stoves, or things used to heat, any smoke exposure—not just smoking, but smoke exposure in general—that’s a risk factor,” Dr. Phillips explained.
The message is clear: if you’re at risk for lung cancer, get screened regularly. It could make the difference between a successful treatment and a late-stage diagnosis.
“We really want to catch this early so that we can treat and diagnose it; that way, we can make a bigger difference for the patients,” said Dr. Phillips.
Doctors strongly recommend that anyone who has smoked a pack a day for 20 years and is 50 years or older get screened for lung cancer.
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