Thursday, February 08, 2018
Lung cancer kills more Americans each year than any other cancer, but doctors say early detection can make the difference between life and death.
Beaumont Hospital, Wayne opened a new lung nodule clinic to provide early diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of abnormal pulmonary nodules, which are often discovered as a result of CT scans or chest X-rays for other health conditions.
“Wayne County has historically seen high numbers of people with lung disease or a lung cancer diagnosis,” said Jose Kottoor, vice president of Operations, Beaumont Hospital, Wayne. “We estimate that our clinic will help 100-200 patients each year.”
Pulmonologist and clinic director, Hazem Raslan, M.D., said it can take weeks or months for a patient with an abnormal scan to come to the first diagnostic stage.
“Here we can accomplish that in a matter of days,” Dr. Raslan said.
Pulmonary nodules are a round or oval shaped growth in the lung, sometimes referred to as a lesion or spot on the lung.
“The size and shape make a difference. Smaller nodules may require monitoring, but larger nodules could result in a biopsy,” said Dr. Raslan.
When lung nodules are identified, a nurse navigator will begin communicating with the patient and his or her primary care physician, followed by a consultation with a pulmonologist.
“They’ll work together to guide the patient through the recommended next steps, which could involve treatment by a team of physicians and thoracic and pulmonary specialists,” said Kottoor.
Dr. Raslan added that previous or current smokers, especially those who have been smoking for many years, or people with a history of cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease are at a higher risk of lung nodules. They should be screened annually.
“In about 15 minutes, a dedicated, low-dose CT scan can cover the entire chest and provide a more detailed look than a standard chest X-ray,” said Dr. Raslan.
Causes of lung nodules include tuberculosis; rheumatoid arthritis and sarcoidosis – an inflammation that affects multiple organs, most commonly the lung, lymph nodes and cancer. Fungal infections have also been linked to the appearance of lung nodules.
While lung nodules can be noncancerous, they may be an early sign of lung cancer or indicate that a cancer is spreading throughout the body.