Low-dose CT scan, advances in treatment give hope to lung cancer patients

The likelihood of dying from lung cancer in men is more than prostate and colon cancer combined. In women, lung cancer deaths are more likely than breast and colon cancers combined.

The number of cigarette smokers decreased significantly over the years among certain populations, but often symptoms of lung cancer are not apparent until the cancer is in advanced stages.

Yet, there is hope for lung cancer patients.

Through use of a low-dose CT scan for tobacco users as well as advanced chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation treatments, Carle Cancer Institute patients like Marc Reutter, 76, of Cissna Park is proving lung cancer patients can live longer than the predicted 10 to 12 months following a diagnosis.

“Instead of a death sentence, here I am 2 ½ years later and healthy as a horse,” Reutter said. “Every day there are new treatments developed. Don’t give up hope.”



Sinisa Stanic, MD, medical director at Carle Cancer Institute Urbana said through advances in chemotherapy and immunotherapy as well as use of pinpoint radiation it is possible as many as 20 percent of the patients diagnosed with the most severe stage of lung cancer can beat the odds.

Reutter said he started smoking cigarettes when he was 16 and stopped about six months before he received his lung cancer diagnosis. At first, the retired farmer and rural mail carrier thought the pain in his shoulder pain was bursitis. When a provider at the Carle Cissna Park clinic suggested he have a low-dose CT scan, a spot showed up on his scapula and he moved into specialized care as a cancer patient.

Included in his treatment plan were five doses of high-dose pinpoint radiation, called stereobatic body radiation therapy, under Dr. Stanic’s direction, followed by aggressive chemotherapy. He currently takes a prescription anti-inflammatory medication and plans to take a thyroid medication for the rest of his life. Reutter’s wife, Ruth, also provides great support for him along with the prayers of family and friends.

Priyank Patel, MD, Oncology, Carle Urbana South Clinic, said the chemotherapy drugs Reutter received under his direction, targeted and destroyed rapidly dividing cancer cells while immunotherapy drugs helped his own immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells. The care team also conducted genetic tests to determine the molecular characteristics of his type of cancer, Dr. Patel said.

“Once we start treatment, we can see how well it is working. There is no one size fits all,” Dr. Patel said. He credits cancer research for continuing to bring hope to even the most severe cases of cancer. The evolution of cancer treatment has completely changed twice since completing a fellowship in 2016, he said.

Dr. Stanic encourages individuals with a significant smoking history of a pack of cigarettes for 20 years to talk with their healthcare provider for a referral of a low-dose screening CT scan of their lungs.

Karina Parke, MSN, FNP, Lung Nodule Clinic, said 250 to 300 scans a month are done at Carle Health in Urbana. The scan takes 5 minutes or less and the results are available the next day. Any provider can order the scan, but the patient needs approval from insurance carriers or Medicare.

“The equipment can detect early stages of lung cancer when the patient has no symptoms. We are catching a lot of early lung cancers and some more developed when a patient has advanced symptoms,” Parke said.

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends the scans from age 50 to 80 for heavy smokers but Medicare and commercial insurance stop paying for the scans at age 77, she said.

“The low-dose screening CT scan is pretty remarkable, and treatments for lung cancer are advancing rapidly due to dedicated research for lung cancer,” Parke said.

Categories:
Culture of Quality,
Redefining Healthcare,
Community

Tags:
cancer,
Carle Cancer Institute