Panel: Stop Smoking To Reduce Risk Of Lung Cancer And COPD

DANBURY — If people stopped smoking, they would reduce their risk for many diseases, especially lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Danbury Hospital doctors say.

“Smoking is the single most modifiable risk factor for many diseases,” said John Chronakos, MD, director of the hospital’s Pulmonary Function Laboratory.

Dr Chronakos was part of a panel speaking at a recent Medical Town Meeting sponsored by Danbury Hospital on “What You Need to Know About Lung Cancer and COPD.”

Also on the panel were Douglas Kahn, MD, director of respiratory care; Michael Walker, MD, a thoracic surgeon and chairman of the Lung Cancer Review Committee; Marianne Mitchell, coordinator of the hospital’s Quit Now smoking cessation program; and Leeann Losee, clinical educator in respiratory therapy.

The group discussed how to diagnose and treat lung cancer and COPD, along with surgical options and ways to quit smoking.

Cigarette smoking is the No. 1 cause for lung cancer, accounting for 87 percent of cases, according to Dr Kahn. Other causes include asbestos, radon, air pollution, toxins, and genetics. This year, more than 172,500 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed.

“We must do a better job of getting people to stop smoking,” he said.

Lung cancer is sometimes a difficult diagnosis to make, according to Dr Kahn, as there is no screening test, no early symptoms, and a growth may have been there for years.

If there is any good news about lung cancer it is that surgeons at Danbury Hospital have a new surgical treatment to remove a cancerous growth. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) allows surgeons to remove a growth through a new minimally invasive procedure called a thoracoscopic lobectomy.

Like other minimally invasive procedures offered by Danbury Hospital, the thoracoscopic lobectomy decreases hospital stay, minimizes pain, and shortens recovery time, according to Dr Walker, who performs the procedure at Danbury Hospital.

VATS is like other minimally invasive procedures that use a laparoscope and video camera inserted through two or three small incisions.

A thoracotomy, or traditional surgery to remove a lung tumor, involved opening the chest through a much larger incision and spreading the ribs, according to Dr Walker. The procedure, he said, could be quite painful and patients were hospitalized for five or six days. The new procedure cuts hospitalization to three to four days.

But the best way to combat lung cancer is to quit smoking, according to Ms Mitchell. “Smoking isn’t a habit,” she said, “ it’s an addiction.” Nicotine is more addictive than heroin, she added.

Programs like Danbury Hospital’s Quit Now smoking cessation program helps people kick the habit in a supportive, healthy way.

Many sufferers of COPD were smokers, or continue to be, according to Dr Chronokos. COPD is a big problem, comprising the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. In the year 2000, 120,000 people died of COPD.

The bottom line: Stop smoking, and don’t start if you never have, he said.

For more information on lung cancer, COPD, and smoking cessation, visit danburyhospital.org.