Doctors spread knowledge during Lung Cancer Awareness Month

URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and doctors are reminding people that it's not just smokers that can be affected.

Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Scott Cook explains how lung cancer is the most common tumor in both men and women. Despite being so common, it is often found late.

“The problem is that most lung cancers, when it shows up or diagnosed, it’s untreatable surgically. It’s spread elsewhere in the body, or the ribs, or the brain or whatever so therefore those people can only get radiation and chemotherapy and not curative surgery,” said Cook.

Nonsmokers can also be at risk of lung cancer.

“There are a group about 10% of the population that get lung cancer that don’t smoke and so it’s important to try to find them also so when you develop a cough or chest pain or discomfort then you should get a chest x-ray,” explained Cook.

OSF Medical Center in Urbana will be offering low dose CT screening for lung cancer starting next month.