Getting Screened Early for Lung Cancer Could Save Your Life
- 1950s crooner Rosemary Clooneyand George Clooney’s late auntdied from lung cancer 19 years ago today at 74 years old.
- Rosemary’s initial lung cancer diagnosis came six months prior to her death, and it was discovered during a routine exam; The longtime smoker had a “successful” surgery the following day. Sadly, the cancer recurred soon and she was hospitalized prior to her death.
- A leading expert explained to SurvivorNet how imperative and life-saving early screening is for past and present smokers.
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Read MoreThe Come On-a My House pop singer achieved fame in the ’50s, and was once called "a symbol of modern American music" by the late Frank Sinatra. Rosemary was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Grammy award in 2002.
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Sadly, Rosemary suffered some mental health and addiction issues, but made a career comeback in the ’70s. She had also had a hard time balancing her career and motherhood. The number one hit artist was a mother of five with ex-husband José Ferrer, a Puerto Rican actor who died in 1992. She then remarried the late Dante DiPaolo, an actor and dancer who was with her until the time of her death.
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Rosemary’s initial cancer diagnosis came when she was 73 years old during a routine exam. The very next day, she had the upper lobe of her left lung removed, and the surgery was deemed successful. Sadly however, the cancer returned. Although lung cancer was more rare for women during that time, Rosemary was known to be a heavy smoker and had been urged by her doctor to quit smoking after suffering from respiratory failure years before her cancer diagnosis.
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Getting Screened for Lung Cancer
Smoking is a major risk factor for developing lung cancer. Former and current smokers should screen for lung cancer to reduce their risk of developing the disease, or missing it until it reaches a later stage, which may limit treatment options.
Dr. Patrick Forde, director of the Thoracic Oncology Clinical Research Program and associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins, explained to SurvivorNet how imperative and life-saving screening is for smokers. "Over the last few years, there's been a number of studies looking at using low dose CT scans of the chest in patients who have a history of smoking to try and pick up lung cancers in earlier stage," he said.
Related: 87% of People Eligible for Lung Cancer Screenings Do Not Participate
"About 70% to 80% of patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer, unfortunately, the cancer has spread outside of the lung and is not suitable for surgery," he said. "And there have been a number of studies, most recently, one in the Netherlands, which looked at doing CT scans for patients who are over the age of 55 and had a significant smoking history for many years and then monitoring them on a regular basis with a low dose CT of the chest."
Dr. Forde also explained how screening is an effective tool for prevention. "And they were able to show a reduction in the numbers of lung cancers which had spread outside of the chest. They were able to pick them up in earlier stage and potentially cure them at a higher rate than not doing screening."
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced in March that people who are at high risk for lung cancer because of their smoking history should receive free annual screenings with a low-dose CT scan starting at age 50 regardless of whether they have symptoms. Reaching out to your doctor or local hospital is a proactive first step in taking advantage of this highly important health benefit.
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