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LONG BRANCH, NJ, November 9, 2006 — If you are a longtime
smoker, an annual CT chest scan may soon be what the doctor will
order.
An 11-year international study published last month in The New
England Journal of Medicine offers the strongest evidence to date
that screening smokers through computed tomography (CT) may significantly
boost their survival rates from lung cancer — the nation’s
leading cause of cancer death.
The study found that individuals with a smoking history whose
lung cancer was detected early through a routine CT chest scan
had a 10-year survival rate of up to 92 percent, compared to a
5 percent survival rate when the disease has spread beyond the
lungs.
“Much like how an annual mammogram is a proven early detection
tool for breast cancer in women, the CT scan may soon be applied
in the same way to saving the lives of smokers or others at high
risk from lung cancer,” says Lourens Willekes II, M.D., medical
director of the Lung Cancer Center at Monmouth Medical Center. “This
study offers promise to thousands of smokers who can benefit from
an annual CT chest scan as a screening tool.”
Dr. Willekes explains that a noncontrast CT scan is a highly detailed
imaging study that “gives us extraordinary information about
the anatomy of the lungs and any abnormalities, including things
that don’t necessarily appear in a chest X-ray.”
The release of this National Institutes of Health-supported study
came less than a week before the start of National Lung Cancer
Awareness Month.
Lung cancer has an undeniable distinction: It’s the No.
1 cancer killer in the United States, claiming an estimated 163,000
American lives in 2006. That represents more deaths among men and
women than the next three most common cancers combined: colon,
breast and prostate.
And there is one indisputable cause of nearly 90 percent of lung
cancer deaths: Smoking tobacco, making it a highly preventable
form of the disease.
In marking the national monthlong observance, the Leon Hess Cancer
Center at Monmouth Medical Center is placing the spotlight on fighting
a disease that is diagnosed each year in nearly 175,000 Americans
and currently affects more than 352,000 individuals.
“Many times, the symptoms of lung cancer do not appear until
the disease is in an advanced stage, hindering the early detection
of the disease when it is most treatable,” explains Dr. Willekes.
Those symptoms may include a persistent cough that worsens over
time, chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing or hoarseness,
coughing up blood, unexplained fever, and experiencing repeated
bouts of pneunomia or bronchitis.
“Even though these symptoms may indicate a less serious
illness, they could be the first sign of lung cancer, and it’s
important that you seek medical attention early,” he adds.
Offering an Advanced Array of State-of-the-Art Services
With the recent establishment of the Lung Cancer Center at the
Leon Hess Cancer Center, Monmouth Medical Center brings to Monmouth
and Ocean counties the only facility of its kind dedicated to the
early detection, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.
It offers the most advanced array of services in one centralized
location, led by a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals
that evaluates patients who have been diagnosed with lung cancer
and those who have symptoms that may indicate they have the disease.
“Individuals with symptoms that are causing them concern
or have been recently diagnosed with lung cancer or an abnormal
chest X-ray are encouraged to undergo an evaluation at the Lung
Cancer Center,” Dr. Willekes says. “If cancer is detected,
all team members are involved in the development of an individualized
treatment plan for each patient— a process that is accomplished
in a timely manner after the patient’s initial visit. The
plan then is thoroughly explained and discussed with the patient,
family members and referring physicians.”
“The real advantage of how we treat patients with lung cancer
here is really in the details,” Dr. Willekes says. “We
have a talented, dedicated group of people that works closely together
in a multidisciplinary fashion to optimize patient care and outcomes.
Radiation oncology, medical oncology, radiology, pathology — these
departments, in particular, are exceptionally strong and devoted
to precise care of the lung cancer patient. In general, you only
get one chance to approach lung cancer, and this has to be done
in the right way.”
Depending on the type, size and location of the cancer, as well
as a patient’s age and overall health, treatment usually
involves surgery, chemotherapy, radiation oncology or a combination
of any of the three therapies.
“The goal of surgical oncology for many forms of thoracic
cancer is to remove the affected area of the lung to achieve the
best possible outcomes to preserve the maximum level of function,” explains
Dr. Willekes.
At Monmouth Medical Center, the board-certified thoracic surgeon
is highly skilled in performing sophisticated minimally invasive
techniques to diagnose and treat problems in the chest. Most recently,
he began to apply robotic surgery — the latest breakthrough
in small-incision surgery for complex procedures — to lung
cancer treatment.
Monmouth is the first and only hospital in the region to introduce
the da Vinci S Surgical System, which combines computer and robotic
technologies with the skills of the surgeon. As a result, robotic-assisted
operations are performed with greater precision, dexterity and
control than is generally achieved through large-incision, open
and traditional laparoscopic surgery. For many patients, this means
fewer complications, a shorter hospital stay, reduced recovery
time and better clinical results.
For more information about the Lung Cancer Center at Monmouth
Medical Center or to schedule an appointment with a physician,
call 732-870-6060.
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