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<\/a>TO MARK THE launch of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which began on Nov. 1, 2023, officials from Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) hosted an event at its Moses campus in Norwood, along with a pair of giant, inflatable lungs in efforts to help educate the community about the importance of life-saving lung cancer screening.Photo courtesy of Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center<\/p>\n
The five-year survival rate for Stage I or Stage II lung cancer is now more than 65%, compared to just 8% for later-Stages III and IV of the disease, according<\/a> to the American Lung Association. The news was welcomed by Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) officials said their clinicians are now finding cancers when they are most treatable and curable thanks to enhanced screening, novel care, access to clinical trials, and community education.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0MECCC officials said that for several decades, The Bronx has experienced higher-than-average lung cancer mortality rates compared with other New York City boroughs, primarily due to Bronxites being diagnosed at later stages of the disease. They said today\u2019s lifesaving \u201cstage shift,\u201d driven by what they described as \u201cMECCC\u2019s internationally acclaimed lung team,\u201d is expected to drive up survival rates.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n MECCC officials said early detection enables 95% of lung cancer operations at Montefiore Einstein to be performed with minimally invasive \u201clung sparing\u201d techniques, and they added that this allows greater preservation of normal lung function so Bronx residents can return to enjoying full lives post-cancer treatment.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Brendon Stiles, M.D., professor and chief of thoracic surgery and surgical oncology, and cardiothoracic & vascular surgery at Montefiore and at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said, \u201cIt is nothing short of remarkable to see our comprehensive cancer efforts completely change the trajectory of lung cancer care and survival over the last four years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Stiles, who is also associate director of surgical services at MECCC, added, \u201cWith our patient-first philosophy and comprehensive suite of programs like our incidental lung nodule clinic, we\u2019re screening more people earlier and are enrolling approximately 20% of our patients with screen detected lung cancer into clinical trials to ensure Bronx residents benefit from tomorrow\u2019s cancer therapies, today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Officials at MECCC went on to say that lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. They said a combination of factors contributes to lung cancer, including air pollution, exposure to radon (a natural, radioactive gas), tobacco use, secondhand smoke, and genetics. As reported<\/a>, The Bronx also has one of the highest incidences of asthma<\/a>, due in part to poor air quality in the borough.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n To identify cancer at an earlier stage, MECCC officials said it ramped up the low dose, lung cancer screening program and introduced a Follow-Up \u201cASsessmenT\u201d of Lung Nodules (FAST) clinic. They said the clinic leverages artificial intelligence and clinical education to guide patients with lung nodules unexpectedly found during X-rays or chest scans, unrelated to cancer care at Montefiore Einstein (like trauma, chest pain, or cardiac workups).<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n They said the MECCC team is also exploring blood-based assays to triage people who have the highest risk of cancer and to ensure expedited care. An assay is a laboratory test or procedure used to measure the presence, amount, or functional activity of a specific substance, such as a drug, a chemical, or a biological molecule.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n