This content was provided by GW Hospital.
Keith Mortman, MD, FACS, FCCP, is a fellowship-trained thoracic surgeon and director of the GW Cancer Center Division of Thoracic Surgery. Here, he discusses lung cancer care and the low-dose CT scan, available at GW Hospital, that can detect lung cancer early when it is more treatable.
Q: November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Let’s discuss the statistics.
A: Every November at GW Hospital, we try and raise awareness because lung cancer remains such a prominent issue in the United States. It is projected that in 2024, there will be approximately 234,000 new cases of lung cancer and unfortunately, about 125,000 deaths. Lung cancer remains the number one cancer killer in the United States.*
In the DC metro area, it’s roughly on par with the national average in terms of the diagnoses that we see. In terms of patients who are eligible for a low-dose CT scan of the lungs, we see that not as many patients are taking advantage of this screening tool as in other parts of the country.
Q: We know that smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer. What are some other causes?
A: Approximately 80 percent of lung cancer deaths are due to smoking. However, that means the remaining 20 percent are not related to smoking. If you have lungs, unfortunately, you can get lung cancer. Some of the other risk factors that we see are exposure to radon gas. That is actually the second leading cause of lung cancer.
There are other factors, too. People who have had extensive second-hand exposure to smoking; people who have worked with asbestos in the past; people who work and are exposed to certain metals like chromium, cadmium, arsenic; and patients who have received higher doses of radiation throughout their lifetime can be at risk for developing lung cancer.
Q: Can you speak about the importance of screening with the low-dose CT scan?
A: Patients who are eligible for this low-dose lung CT scan are those aged 50 to 80, who have smoked the equivalent of one pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years or if patients have quit within the past 15 years.
The scan is an incredible tool that we have at our disposal at GW Hospital. It’s fast, easy, cheap and effective. When I say “cheap”, I mean it is covered by Medicare and just about all private insurers. We know that the scan is highly effective at trying to catch lung cancer early. This simple tool can actually decrease the lung cancer death rate by at least 20 percent.
It takes probably no more than 60 seconds to actually do the scan. It is completely non-invasive; there are no needles or IVs. We typically have the results within 24 hours. The results are then shared with the patient and the patient’s primary care provider. The scan does require a doctor’s order.
Q: What would you say to at-risk people who put off the lung scan?
A: I understand hesitancy. I understand that, unfortunately, there is still a stigma, particularly with lung cancer, that it is a smoking-related cancer. The scan is 60 seconds that can save your life. When lung cancer is found in its earliest stages, before any symptoms develop, the survival rate is actually very high.
Q: What makes GW Hospital and GW Cancer Center stand out in terms of lung cancer treatment?
A: We’re grateful that here at GW University Hospital, our lung cancer surgery program has been recognized as high performing by U.S. News and World Report for the past several years now.
All of our highly concerning cases are typically reviewed at a multi-disciplinary thoracic oncology tumor board, which is part of the GW Cancer Center. It is a forum where we have all of the experts around the table at the same time. Surgery is represented, and we have diagnostic and interventional radiology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pulmonary medicine and pathology, just to name a few. That way, we can discuss complex cases and individualize our treatment to that particular patient.
More than 90 percent of our surgical cases are performed using minimally invasive procedures, and some of those are performed with a surgical robot. Medical oncologists at GW Cancer Center have advanced chemo therapeutics available, including targeted therapies and immunotherapy. The radiation oncologists at GW Cancer Center also have improved methods of radiation that destroy the cancer cells while minimizing harm to normal surrounding tissues.
Let the GW Hospital family care for you and yours.
To find a doctor, call 888-4GW-DOCS (449-3627) or visit doctors.gwhospital.com
To schedule a lung screening, call 1-855-GWLUNGS.
To learn more about low-dose lung CT scans, visit gwhospital.com/lungct
*American Lung Association
Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of The George Washington University Hospital. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the nondiscrimination notice, visit our website.
