Lung cancer is leading cause of cancer death with low early diagnosis rate
MARGATE - Lung cancer is killing Floridians at an alarming rate
The American Lung Association said lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the Sunshine State as well as the United States.
And that the rate of early diagnosis in Florida is far too low at about 25.3%. That matters because when lung cancer is diagnosed early, the five-year survival rate is much higher.
When Irisaida Mendez started to have trouble breathing she first thought it could be asthma
But the wife and mother of four who lives in Miami soon realized her worst fears. She had been In remission from uterine cancer that was diagnosed in 2017 and now the cancer had jumped to her lungs.
After her lower left lung was removed, there were dark days
"You can't sing," Mendez said. "It hurts to laugh. But it motivates you to get better."
When chemotherapy did not work and she was given just months to live, Mendez pushed to be put on an experimental immunotherapy drug - Keytruda. It worked.
"I think by the first year and a half my body was totally clean," she said. "I got a second chance."
That second chance is possible for others but too few people who need to be screened for lung cancer are getting tested.
That includes those at highest risk including smokers, people exposed to second hand smoke, asbestos, a family history of lung cancer and being a part of the Hispanic community, which has a very high rate of lung cancer.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommend annual lung cancer screening for anyone 50 to 80 years old with a heavy smoking history, currently smokes or has quit within the past 15 years. Other risks are a family history of lung cancer or radon exposure.
The national rate of people alive five years after a lung cancer diagnosis is 28.4%.
"I find it alarming early detection Is a problem," surgeon Sean Johnson at HCA Florida Northwest Hospital in Margate said.
The hospital has invested in an advanced scanner that can detect lung cancer early
But he said too few people are getting screened soon enough.
"If we do a better job of screening and diagnosing early we can treat and potentially save a patient," Johnson said.
It's part of Mendez's mission too
She advocates for early detection, treatment and cures for lung cancer while literally climbing mountains to build endurance and shine a light on the devastating effects of lung cancer.
"it makes it worth what I went through if I can help others," Mendez said.
