Non-smokers make up nearly 20 percent of lung cancer deaths annually

Did you know that lung cancer affects almost three times as many men as prostate cancer and three times as many women as breast cancer?

More than 650,000 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with lung cancer at some point in their lifetime. Robert Reilly, DO, a medical oncologist at St. Mary Medical Center, shares insight into the risk factors and symptoms.

“The most common risk factor among patients diagnosed with lung cancer is a history of smoking,” Dr. Reilly says. “The risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day as well as the lifetime duration of smoking.”

While smoking is the leading risk factor, people who have never touched a cigarette account for 20 percent of lung cancer deaths. Other risk factors include exposure to air pollution, secondhand smoke and radon gas.

Actress and comedian Kathy Griffin—who was diagnosed with stage one lung cancer in 2021 after her provider noticed a mass during an unrelated scan—is a non-smoker. Like most patients in the early stages of lung cancer, Griffin exhibited no symptoms. However, some common symptoms that are often seen in more advanced stages include a persistent and worsening cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing up blood, constant fatigue and weight loss with no known cause.

“These signs however can also be present with other illnesses, so it is important to discuss these symptoms with your primary care provider to determine if a lung screening is recommended,” Dr. Reilly says.

While smoking is the leading risk factor, people who have never touched a cigarette account for 20 percent of lung cancer deaths. Other risk factors include exposure to air pollution, secondhand smoke and radon gas.

If lung screening and further diagnostic testing does detect cancer, treatment options can vary depending on the stage of the disease. “Earlier stages can be approached with surgery with the primary goal to remove all of the tumor,” Dr. Reilly says.

For later stages, combined modality therapy using a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy would most likely be recommended. If an individual is not a surgical candidate for other medical reasons but has early-stage cancer, it can be treated using stereotactic radiation therapy.

Learn more about oncology services at St. Mary Medical Center or request an appointment. To schedule a lung cancer screening at St. Mary Medical Center, please call 215.710.5300.