11-29-23 PTL - Flipbook - Page 4
4 A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, November 29, 2023
CANCER
World-class early
detection and treatment
programs for lung cancer
University of Maryland
Medical Center
By Linda L. Esterson, Contributing Writer
Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Medical Center
A
ccording to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, lung cancer or weight loss should prompt them to visit
is the leading cause of death worldwide. The American Cancer Society estimates 238,000 people will be diagnosed in 2023 in the U.S.
Unfortunately, only 4 to 6% of the
eligible population is screened for lung
cancer. As a result, when the disease is
detected, it is at late stages, when the
possibility for cure is lower. The latest
data from the International Association for
the Study of Lung Cancer indicates that
every centimeter increase in the size of a
positive nodule is relative to a drop in the
survival rate.
In an effort to catch lung cancer in
its earliest stages – when the prospect
for cure is higher – the University of
Maryland Medical System has introduced
lung cancer screening programs at its
downtown flagship campus and several
of its other hospitals that include early
detection strategies for timely diagnosis
and a greater chance for survival.
Who should be screened
One of the challenges of diagnosing
lung cancer is that most patients don’t
have symptoms until the disease has
advanced.
“For that reason, it’s important for
patients to reach out to their physicians
to ask for lung cancer screening and a CT
scan,” notes Ashutosh Sachdeva, M.D.,
associate professor of medicine and chief
of the section of interventional pulmonology in the division of pulmonary and critical
care at the University of Maryland Medical
Center. “Early detection is the only way to
reduce the risk of mortality or death from
this disease.”
Patients with a minimum 20-pack-year
(smoking one pack or 20 cigarettes daily
for 20 years) smoking history, who smoke
now or have quit in the last 15 years and
are between 50 and 80 years old should
request a screening, which is covered by
most insurances. In addition, symptoms
like persistent cough, coughing up blood
their physician, Dr. Sachdeva explains.
Those who have a family history of lung
cancer or were exposed to smoking at
a young age should also reach out to
their physician, he adds. Oftentimes, a
nodule that tests positive for lung cancer
is detected in patients without symptoms
who present in the emergency room for
other concerns.
Advances in screening
The University of Maryland’s screening program is integrated with its tobacco treatment programs, with the goal
of providing a full spectrum lung health
check and support for those who are
dependent on tobacco.
This screening program utilizes
advanced technology and a multidisciplinary approach to detect lung nodules
and develop treatment plans for lung
cancer.
The first step in screening is
Computed tomography (CT), which
uses a low-dose radiation protocol to
create detailed images of the lungs.
Secured in just minutes, CT is best for
finding abnormal areas in the lungs but
does not distinguish between cancerous
and benign tumors. Further testing is
indicated if tumors are found.
If a lesion is found, then a biopsy may
be needed to study the tissue and obtain
a diagnosis. Interventional pulmonologists use a variety of methods to secure
a small tissue sample for testing.
Interventional pulmonologists at the
University of Maryland are using robotic
navigation technology to secure the tissue from hard-to-reach areas in a less
invasive manner.
*Navigational bronchoscopy combines navigation platforms with CT imaging to generate a three-dimensional
roadmap of the lungs. A bronchoscope,
robotic or conventional, is guided by
the CT map down the windpipe into
the airway and directly into the lesion,
with confirmation done using endobronchial ultrasound (see below) or fluoros-
Lung cancer,
continued on page 18