HealthONE - November 19, 2021
by Dr. Jenifer Marks, Thoracic Surgeon

2 min Read Time

November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month - a time to raise awareness of the need for more research, innovation and better community awareness of this disease. 

Know the facts.

Anyone can get lung cancer. Here are the facts:

  • Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide
  • More patients die every year from lung cancer than from prostate, breast, and colon cancer combined
  • Nearly 160,000 people die from lung cancer every year
  • 60% to 65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are found in people who are former smokers

But there’s good news. 

Lung cancer screening helps detect lung cancer at an early stage before any symptoms occur and with current treatment options the long term survival for early stage lung cancer is much better than later stages of the disease.  

Who should be screened?

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends yearly lung cancer screening for people who:

  • Have a history of heavy smoking
  • Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years
  • Are between the ages of 55 and 80 years old.

We’re here to help.

At The Medical Center of Aurora, we’re working to increase early detection, improve diagnostics, optimize treatment and accelerate recovery by providing our patients access to the most innovative technologies.

The Monarch Robotic Bronchoscopy Platform, currently being used by physicians at The Medical Center of Aurora is a new robotic technology designed to improve the diagnosis of early stage lung cancer with the goal of saving lives. This new technology is designed to allow an accurate diagnosis without incisions from even the smallest and hardest-to-reach lung nodules -- with the hope of catching lung cancer early. 

At The Medical Center of Aurora, we are excited to offer this innovative technology, which uses the latest advances in robotics to diagnose lung cancer – with the least invasive approach for patients. Lung cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence – we encourage the community to take an important step to be screened, so that we can find and treat lung cancer before it progresses.

Together, we can spread awareness and bring hope to those affected by this disease. 

Dr. Jenifer Marks, Thoracic Surgeon

The Medical Center of Aurora / Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute

tags: breath , breathing , cancer , lung , lung cancer