
COURIER LIFE, NOVEMBER 19-25, 2021 17
s chief of thoracic surgery
at NewYork-Presbyterian
Brooklyn Methodist
Hospital, Sebron Harrison,
MD, works with a multidisciplinary
team to identify and
treat lung cancer during its
earliest stages.
Test your knowledge about
this critical condition.
Which of the following
symptoms are warning
signs of lung cancer?
a. Coughing up blood
b. Chest pain
c. Shortness of breath
d. All of the above
Answer: d. Lung cancer typically
causes symptoms during
later stages, but individuals
with early stages of the disease
may notice warning signs. To
screen for cancer at an early
stage, when treatment may
lead to better outcomes, talk
with your doctor about your
risk factors and screening options.
“Because lung cancer is so
deadly, patients should never
wait for warning signs. Instead,
at-risk individuals should be
thinking about lung health at
every stage of the game,” Dr.
Harrison says. “Unfortunately,
over 40 percent of patients are
not diagnosed until the cancer
is already stage IV, and at that
late stage, fewer treatment options
will be effective.”
What is the leading cause
of lung cancer?
a. Asbestos exposure
b. Family history
c. Secondhand smoke
d. Smoking
Answer: d. According to the
American Lung Association,
active smoking causes nearly
85 percent of lung cancers. But
the likelihood of the disease
may also be increased by factors
like family history and exposure
to harmful chemicals
in the air.
What is usually the first
treatment for early lung
cancer?
a. Chemotherapy
b. Radiation
c. Surgery
d. All of the above
Answer: c. Surgical resection
is typically the first line
of treatment for early lung
cancer with the goal of cancer
cure. Once the disease has progressed,
doctors may recommend
a combination of treatments
including chemotherapy
and newer immunotherapies,
radiation, and surgery.
Fact or fiction: If you have
a clear chest x-ray, you don’t
need to be concerned about
lung cancer.
Answer: Fiction. Other tests
may be needed to identify lung
cancer during various stages
of the disease.
“Multiple studies have
shown that a chest x-ray is
not an appropriate screening
method,” Dr. Harrison says.
“A high-risk person should
also have a lose-dose computed
tomography (CT) scan of the
chest.”
True or false: If you’ve
never smoked, there’s no
chance that you will develop
lung cancer.
Answer: False. NewYork-
Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist
Hospital “Roughly 15 percent
of all patients diagnosed
with lung cancer have never
smoked and have no other
identifiable risk factors,” Dr.
Harrison says. “If you experience
symptoms, it is never too
early to see a doctor and discuss
risks and options for diagnosis.”
NewYork-Presbyterian
Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
offers free lung cancer screenings
through the Fred L.
Mazzilli Lung Cancer Screening
Program.
The Program is designed
for people between the ages of
50 and 80 who smoke or have
smoked in the past and have a
history of 20 pack years. This
is equivalent to smoking one
pack daily for 20 years, two
packs a day for 10 years, etc.
These people are at the highest
risk for developing lung cancer.
Call 718.780.LUNG to learn
more about the Program.