Each year, over 218,500 people in the United States are diagnosed with lung cancer, and approximately 142,000 die, making lung cancer the leading cause of cancer death. It’s important to know that you can lower the risk of lung cancer by understanding the potential causes.
Smoking remains the leading cause of lung cancer, with nearly nine out of ten diagnoses linked to smoking cigarettes. Another risk factor is secondhand smoke, which includes contact with smoke from cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. Exposure to secondhand smoke at work or home can increase your lung cancer risk by 20 to 30 percent. Other common risk factors include exposure to chemicals like radon, asbestos, and arsenic. A family history of lung cancer is another risk factor. If any of these risk factors apply to you, it’s important to discuss with your doctor whether you qualify for lung cancer screening. If lung cancer is caught early, it can increase your chances of survival by 60 percent.
Treatment for lung cancer has significantly improved and can include a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and, most commonly, radiation therapy. External radiation therapy, where radiation treatments come from outside the body, is utilized most often to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. Radiation therapy is also an option when lung cancer no longer responds to treatment by improving the patient’s quality of life by relieving symptoms related to pain, bleeding, and difficulty breathing.
Radiation therapy does not kill cancer cells immediately when used to combat cancer. It can take several treatments over days or weeks before cancer cells are damaged enough to die or stop growing. Your physician will work with you to determine the dosage and frequency of treatment. For radiation therapy to be most effective, it is highly recommended that cancer patients not deviate from the established treatment schedule. Research shows that there is an increased risk that cancer could return when treatment is disrupted. This can be particularly alarming during times of crisis, like when Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida. Fortunately, Advocate Radiation Oncology could treat and care for patients’ immediate needs after the storm, including cancer patients that other providers were seeing. We are grateful and proud that we were able to fulfill and expand our commitment to provide compassionate, quality care to cancer patients when they needed it most.
Alan Brown is a physician at Advocate Radiation Oncology. Advocate Radiation Oncology’s board-certified oncologists provide expert, customized patient care. With locations across Southwest Florida, patients have access to state-of-the-art cancer-fighting machines.
Our individualized cancer treatment plans are guided by the most up-to-date data, appropriate evidence-based care, and the latest technologies available.
ADVOCATE Radiation Oncology
Cape Coral
909 Del Prado Blvd. S
Cape Coral, FL 33990
(239) 217-8070
Bonita Springs
25243 Elementary Way
Bonita Springs, FL 34135
(239) 317-2772
Fort Myers
15681 New Hampshire Ct.
Fort Myers, FL 33908
(239) 437-1977
Port Charlotte
3080 Harbor Blvd.
Port Charlotte, FL 33952
(941) 883-2199
Naples
1775 Davis Blvd.
Naples, FL 34102
(239) 372-2838