When 76-year-old Pike County resident Lewis Robinson visited Adena Regional Medical Center in June 2016, he overheard a nurse talking about the health system’s free lung cancer screening program.
Because his father died of lung cancer, and he was a regular smoker, Robinson’s interest was piqued.
“Since the disease runs in my family, I thought, ‘Well, the screening is free. I should sign up. Why not?’” Robinson says.
Heather Oyer, a lung health specialist at Adena, sees the tremendous value in the free lung cancer screening.
“With our program, you don’t need a referral. Patients just call and speak to me so I can review the qualifications with them. If they qualify, I schedule them for a free, low-dose CT scan,” says Oyer. “We see a lot of success with our program due to the fact that it’s free.”
Little did Robinson know that this free lung cancer screening would save his life. Within two days of a quick CT scan, a nurse called Robinson, looking to set up an appointment to discuss his results.
It was then that he learned that he had stage 1 lung cancer and stage 3 kidney failure.
Although these diagnoses were scary, Robinson felt optimistic given that both of his conditions were discovered early. Plus, he thought, “It’s better to find out now than not at all,” he says. Robinson simply wouldn’t have known about his diagnoses without the testing.
After his diagnoses, treatment began.
“I was referred by the care team to Dr. Alex Wilson, a radiation oncologist at the Adena Cancer Center,” Robinson says. “At first, I was worried and scared of the unknown. But after the first round of radiation, I was relieved. It turned out to be entirely painless and a very simple process. I was even able to go back to work that same day.”
Since it began in 2014, Adena Health System’s free lung cancer screening program has become a national model for excellence and saving lives. More than 3,000 people have been screened, and 37 of those people have been diagnosed with lung cancer.
“I’ve always been very grateful to offer this program to our patients, and I encourage everyone that meets the requirements to have the screening,” Oyer says.
The lung cancer screening is done through a simple, painless, low-dose, non-invasive CT scan. It identifies any tumors or lesions that may require medical attention.
A candidate for Adena’s free lung cancer screening must:
- Be between the ages of 55 and 74;
- Be a current smoker or have quit smoking in the last 15 years; and
- Have 30 “pack years” of smoking in his or her past. A “pack year” is calculated by taking the number f packs of cigarettes smoked per day and multiplying it by the number of years that person smoked. For example: Someone who smoked two packs a day for 15 years has 30 “pack years” of smoking.
Robinson ended up completing five short rounds of radiation therapy. “I’m so thankful that I found out I had cancer in the earlier stages,” he says. “If I would have waited, the cancer would have taken over my body. My kidneys would have failed and I would not be living the life I am today.”
Adena hopes to continue the free screenings and their benefit to the community.
“This is a great way to look for a disease in a person who might have no symptoms, which allows us to find the disease as early as possible,” Oyer says. “With cancer, especially lung cancer, the earlier it’s found, the better chance for a cure. That’s our ultimate goal.”
And this was surely the case with Robinson. Today, Robinson has quit smoking and is cancer-free, and he hopes his story leads others to think seriously about the health of their lungs.
“I hope this encourages somebody to take the first step,” he says. “If you’re concerned and it’s free, what in the world would stop you? Take the first step and go find out for your own peace of mind.”
For a while, Robinson returned for follow-up CT scans every three months, but now, because there has been no recurrence, he goes back every six months. He says with gratitude, “The screening really saved my life.”
For more information on the screenings, call 740-542-5864.
Quick Facts About Lung Cancer
- Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than colon, breast and prostate cancers combined.
- This year, about 226,000 people (116,000 men and 110,000 women) in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer. In this group, about 160,000 people will die of the disease.
Although these numbers are staggering, it’s good to know that the lung cancer rate has been dropping among men for many years and is starting to drop among women.
A few ways to decrease your risk of lung cancer include:
- Don’t smoke. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. If you already smoke, try to quit. Options include nicotine replacement products, medications and support groups. In addition, do your best to avoid secondhand smoke.
- Test your home for radon. High levels of radon can be fixed in order to make your home safer.
- Eat right and exercise. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as exercising most days, goes a long way in preventing lung cancer.
Ann Poirier is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
