Center becomes first to offer early diagnosis and treatment for lung cancer
The screening is available to smokers, and former smokers 50 to 80 years old.
Lung cancer symptoms don't show up until late stages. So, it is the number one cancer killer for men and women.
And in Louisiana, where nearly 20 percent of people smoke, there’s a higher rate of the illness.
Now, the Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the first places to offer a state-of-the-art early diagnosis, and treatment, combined.
Anne Eckert comes from a big family that likes to have fun. She's Krewe of Tucks former royalty, but she also comes from a family of smokers.
“My parents smoked in the house growing up. I'm sure my mama smoked through all the pregnancies, in the car, at dinner, you name it,” remembers Anne Eckert, 62, of Pass Christian, formerly New Orleans.
So, she started smoking at age 14 but quit 15 years later with the help of an American Lung Association class. But when her brother, and sister each got lung cancer, she decided in her early 60s, to get an early-detection CT scan at Ochsner. The screening is available to smokers, and former smokers 50 to 80 years old.
“I really did not think it was going to be a bad CT scan, because I thought I had done what I needed to make sure I didn't get the cancer,” said Eckert.
But there it was, cancer in her upper right lung, smaller than a single pea. So, Dr. Susan Gunn and Dr. Brian Pettiford offered Anne a different, quick treatment.
“So, if it seems like it's all confined to one lobe of the lung, and we all agree as a team that this patient is a great candidate for, what I tell the patients ‘A-one-and-done,’ then we will move them on to our Single Anesthesia Event (SAE) team,” explained Dr. Susan Gunn, a Critical Care and Pulmonology physician at theOchsner, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
In the OR, Dr. Gunn uses the Ion Robotic Bronchoscope to give her a road map, guiding her down the throat to the nodule in the lung. Using x-ray, and ultrasound guidance, she gets a biopsy. Pathologists right in the OR make the cancer diagnosis. Then Dr. Pettiford uses another robot, the Da Vinci XI, and goes through small incisions on the patient's side to remove the part of the lung, and lymph nodes with cancer.
“The single anesthesia event is designed to significantly decrease the wait time. We can offer the patient a definitive diagnosis, and definitive treatment under one anesthetic, one visit to the hospital,” said Dr. Brian Pettiford Section Head of General Thoracic Surgery and the Ochsner, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
So, Anne's cancer was found early, and way before any symptoms. She didn't have to wait 10 weeks and have two different surgeries. And recovery was much faster.
“So, from CAT scan to surgery was a month. I feel great. I feel literally great. My PSA announcement to anybody out there, go get a CAT scan,” said Eckert.
Insurance does cover the advance screening for smokers, and former smokers.
To see if you qualify call 504-842-LUNG.
About the procedure
How important is lung cancer screening?
- Lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer deaths for both men and women.
- Early detection is key to better outcomes. Identifying lung cancer at its earliest stage before symptoms develop allows for earlier treatment and the potential for cure and long-term survival.
Who should get screened?
- Smoking remains the greatest risk factor for developing lung cancer. If you smoke or you have a history of smoking, it is essential you schedule a screening.
- If you are 50 plus, we recommend you get lung cancer screening.
What can someone expect from a screening?
- It takes less than 5 minutes.
- The screening is non-invasive, and you don’t have to do anything special to prepare. There are no injections or dyes to drink. We use the lowest radiation CT scan available, which produces a 3D image of your lungs.
How can someone schedule a screening?
- You can call (504) 842-LUNG (5864) to schedule a lung cancer screening or work with your primary care provider to schedule a screening.
What happens next if a suspicious nodule is detected during screening?
- Your doctor will evaluate the scans to determine the best course of action.
- Depending on the size of the nodule, some potential options:
- For smaller nodules that are less than 8 millimeters, your doctor may recommend additional CT scans to monitor.
- Your doctor may perform a biopsy and take a small tissue sample of the nodule for further analysis. This helps the doctors understand if the nodule is cancerous or not.
- If the nodules are larger and could potentially be early stage lung cancer, your doctor may recommend surgery.
- Your doctor may also recommend Ochsner MD Anderson’s Single Anesthesia Event (SAE) program, which reduces the wait time between lung nodule identification and lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.
What is the Single Anesthesia Event (SAE) program?
- Typically, evaluating suspicious lung nodules for lung cancer involves two or more separate procedures – a biopsy for a tissue and then a separate surgery to remove the nodule if it is deemed malignant.
- A Single Anesthesia Event (SAE) procedure combines lung cancer diagnosis and removal into a single anesthesia procedure.
- For the patient, this means receiving a diagnosis and curative lung cancer treatment during one hospital visit and shorter recovery time.
How is it performed?
- Lung cancer specialists and a thoracic surgery team use robotic devices to diagnose and remove the nodule.
- Under general anesthesia, the patient undergoes a minimally invasive lung nodule biopsy. Once the biopsy confirms the presence of a malignant tumor, doctors perform robotic-assisted surgery for removal.
What are the benefits?
- The SAE program can substantially compress the wait time between lung nodule identification and definitive treatment, taking a traditional 8–10-week process and reducing it to a 2–3-week period.
- It can reduce patient anxiety by offering an expedited process of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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