Lung Cancer Awareness Month Why Older Americans Should Pay Attention

Lung Cancer Awareness Month is always in November so I’m a little late in bringing it to your attention, but I hope my tardiness won’t diminish the importance of focusing on this health issue because it’s especially important for older Americans. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, and it affects older people more than anyone else. 83% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed in people 65 and older with the average age being 70. That should immediately raise our interest level. There are reasons why older people are susceptible to lung cancer.

We all know, or should know, that smoking is a key cause of lung cancer. Other outside carcinogens like secondhand smoke, pollution or workplace hazards can also impact your lung health. COPD, asthma, and other lung problems can increase your susceptibility to this cancer. As you age your body’s reduced ability to repair damaged cells increases your chances of lung cancer. Our history and age are important as we consider this deadly disease.

Flagship Health identified some symptoms that we should pay attention to:

·       A cough that doesn’t go away: A cough lasting several weeks, becoming deeper or more frequent, or bringing up more mucus than usual.

·       Shortness of breath: Feeling winded during everyday activities — such as walking, climbing a few steps, or carrying groceries — when this wasn’t an issue in the recent past.

·       Chest discomfort: Pain, pressure, or a feeling of tightness in the chest that persists or becomes more noticeable over time.

·       Hoarseness or voice changes: A voice that becomes raspy, weak, or noticeably different for more than two weeks.

·       Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite: Dropping more than 5% of your body weight over 6 months (without trying to do so) or having a loss of appetite for more than 2 weeks.

·       Ongoing fatigue: Feeling unusually tired or lacking energy, even when you are sleeping well and not overexerting yourself.

·       Coughing up blood: Even a small amount of blood in the mucus should be checked promptly, as it can be an important warning sign.   

You know your body better than anybody, small changes that are consistent should be taken seriously.

I often issue a “call to action” to each of us to encourage each of our lawmakers to act on an issue or piece of legislation. I’m now issuing a call to action, asking each of you to take the following steps in your own life to detect lung cancer early when it’s the most treatable.

If you experience any of the symptoms above go see your doctor, they will take whatever steps necessary to check for lung cancer. It is recommended and Medicare will pay for yearly lung cancer screenings if you meet all of the following Medicare requirements.

·       Are between 50–77

·       Have no symptoms of lung cancer

·       Are a current smoker or quit within the last 15 years

·       Have a 20 pack‑year smoking history (e.g., 1 pack/day for 20 years)

·       Obtain a screening order from your doctor

·       Have completed a shared decision‑making visit before your first screening

There are other things we can do to reduce the chances of getting lung cancer.

·       Don’t smoke — and if you do, it’s never too late to quit. Nearly 9 in 10 lung cancers are caused by smoking.

·       Avoid secondhand smoke, which increases lung cancer risk by 20–30% in nonsmokers.

·       Test your home for radon, a naturally occurring gas responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

·       Stay active to support lung function.

·       Keep up with vaccinations (flu, RSV, pneumonia) to prevent infections that can weaken the lungs.

I would like to expand a little on the last recommendation. The recommendations concerning vaccinations has been a source of controversy over the last year. The discussion intensified just last week when the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) decided to change the decades long recommendation for administering hepatitis B vaccine for infants. While this doesn’t affect seniors directly, it has further eroded our trust in this committee’s overall stance on vaccines and might impact our future plans to get vaccinated. What I do know is pneumonia kills older people and if you get pneumonia once your chances of getting it again increase dramatically. I can’t emphasize enough how important your pneumonia shots are. This killer of seniors can be subdued if we get vaccinated. It seems to me that one of the goals of the ACIP is expanding criteria and giving the choice to the patient and their doctor. Be your own advocate and ensure your doctor knows you value and need the appropriate vaccinations, especially your pneumonia shot.

I’ve given you a lot of information but it’s up to you do something about your lung health. This might be a good time to think about your lungs, even make a new year’s resolution. Each of us need to evaluate our health as it applies to lung cancer and take the steps that best fit each of us.

One more thing. Yesterday was Sunday, December 7th. It’s the date and day of the week of the attack on Pearl Harbor. As I sat in church yesterday, I thought of the Americans who were sitting in church, in the late morning and early afternoon, on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, and didn’t know that, beginning that day, Americans would be called on to fight to preserve the freedoms that their ancestors had fought to establish over a 160 years earlier. I have a great deal of respect for those who fought in World War 2. I had two uncles who fought in the war, one of which was at Pearl Harbor. I paused in church to thank all those who fought then and who fight now to preserve our freedoms.

Best, Thair