HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · NOVEMBER 2018
QUICK TIPS FOR
PREVENTION
Benjamin
West, M.D.
Physicians and individuals alike recognize that
the best “treatment” of cancer is prevention
and early detection. If you’ve heard these tips
once, you’ve heard them a thousand times, and
for good reason – they work.
• Eat a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruit.
• Get regular exercise and try to stay active.
• Don’t smoke.
• Avoid secondhand smoke.
• Test your home for radon.
• Take precautions at work when it
comes to fumes and air pollution.
more likely to develop lung cancer
than those who don’t smoke,
the percentage of non-smokers
diagnosed with lung cancer is
significant enough that it cannot be
ignored.
LUNG CANCER RISK
FACTORS INCLUDE:
• SMOKING AND SECONDHAND
SMOKE: Tobacco smoke is the most
important risk factor for lung cancer, as
it is thought to cause most lung cancer
deaths. Secondhand smoke can cause lung
cancer in nonsmokers, and the more a
person is exposed to smoke, the greater
their risk of developing lung cancer.
• AGE: Most people
diagnosed with lung cancer
are 65 or older.
• FAMILY AND
PERSONAL HEALTH
HISTORY: People with a
parent or sibling who had
lung cancer have a higher than
average risk of developing lung
cancer, even if they are nonsmokers.
Furthermore, lung cancer survivors are at
increased risk of a second primary cancer.
• ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE: People
who live or work in certain conditions
where they are exposed to radioactive gas,
asbestos, arsenic, radon, diesel exhaust,
air pollution, and other substances have an
increased risk of developing lung cancer.
SHOULD I GET SCREENED? growing treatment option in oncology, uses
the body’s own immune system and defense
mechanisms to fight cancer at the cellular
level. It can work by helping mark cancer cells
to make them easier for the immune system
to target or strengthen the immune system’s
ability to fight the cancer.
With that being said, screenings are not right
for everyone. If you’re between the ages of
55 to 74, have a history of heavy smoking,
you currently smoke, or you quit within
the past 15 years and have a 30 pack-year
smoking history, you’re considered to be at
“high risk” for developing lung cancer and
are a good candidate for an annual screening
with a low-dose CT. This treatment is used to fight many different
types of cancer, including lung cancer,
and has become an important addition to
standard treatments. Radiation therapy and
proton therapy are other treatment options.
Clinical trials evaluating new therapies for
lung cancer may be available to patients.
By the time lung cancer is detected, it has
usually spread to other parts of the body,
making it more difficult to treat and, too
often, incurable. This is why lung cancer
screenings can make all the difference when
it comes to early detection and treatment.
TREATMENT OPTIONS
Treatment options vary
depending on the stage
and type of the cancer, a
patient’s symptoms and
overall health, among other
factors. Lung cancer found
at an early stage may be
curable with surgery alone or
with chemotherapy after surgery,
and a small number of lung cancer
cases that have spread to nearby organs can be
cured with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Targeted therapies may be beneficial in lung
cancers with certain gene mutations, which can
be identified by molecular testing.
One of the most exciting parts of my job as
a radiation oncologist is the development
of new, innovative technologies that are
improving people’s lives and enhancing the
patient experience. Immunotherapy, a rapidly
21 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
JOIN THE FIGHT
November is lung cancer awareness month.
If you smoke, you can take the first step in
reducing your risk of lung cancer by quitting
smoking and encouraging those around
you to follow your lead. If you or someone
you know would be a strong candidate for
a screening, schedule an appointment with
your physician. It could save your life.
ROGELIO SALINAS, M.D.
Rogelio Salinas, M.D., is a radiation
oncologist at Texas Oncology–
McAllen, 1901 South 2nd Street in
McAllen, Texas.
For more information, visit
TexasOncology.com.
BENJAMIN WEST, M.D.
Benjamin West, M.D., is a radiation
oncologist at Texas Oncology–
McAllen, 1901 South 2nd Street in
McAllen, Texas.
For more information, visit
texasoncology.com.