A New York City woman is using her lung cancer survival story to push for early detection, especially among nonsmokers and those in underserved communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Colette Smith of the Bronx wrote a message of hope and unity on a kindness tree inside the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center in Manhattan, a place that once held her darkest fears, but also saved her life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“My thought was, I am going to die, my son is 9 years old,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Health problems no one could explain<\/p>\n
Eleven years ago, Smith, who never smoked, said she started having health problems that no one could explain. She kept pushing for answers before a CT scan revealed suspicious spots on both of her lungs.<\/p>\n
It was cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“It started with an outpatient procedure here at Mt. Sinai,” she said. “Low and behold, there was some buggers hanging out.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr. Andrew Kaufman, a thoracic surgeon, vice chairman, and associate professor of thoracic surgery at Mt. Sinai, said Smith was lucky her cancer was caught early and doctors could operate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“The earlier that we find lung cancer, the higher chance of cure, and if we find it very early, it’s at least 80-90% curable,” Kaufman said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Data proves why early detection matters<\/p>\n
Fewer than 1 in 6 lung cancer patients are diagnosed at the earliest, most treatable stage, according to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America.<\/p>\n
The five-year survival rate is just 27%. When detected early, however, the rate could double.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Doctors say new technology is changing the odds, detecting lung cancer earlier and giving patients a better chance at survival.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Smith’s cancer is now considered cured because of her operation, made possible by early detection.<\/p>\n
“Lung cancer is not a death sentence”<\/p>\n
As a cancer patient advocate, Smith appears on podcasts to spread awareness.<\/p>\n
She is also starting a grassroots initiative called “Healing the Bronx,” dedicated to improving health outcomes through education, art and community love.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Lung cancer is not a death sentence. There’s life after lung cancer,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Doctors say anyone age 50 or older, or anyone with risk factors, should talk to their health care provider about getting a CT scan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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