Lung Cancer

What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer causes an estimated 160,000 deaths in the United States each year, making it the most common cause of cancer death in this country as well as around the world. Lung cancer mainly occurs in people aged 65 or older and kills more people each year than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.

Lung cancer is also one of the most preventable malignancies — since it is usually caused by smoking. But while smoking remains the primary cause, secondhand smoke, a poor diet, and lack of exercise may also contribute to the disease.

What are the symptoms?

Early stages of lung cancer can sometimes go unnoticed without a proper chest X-ray diagnosis or biopsy. Early detection is vital because the disease often shows up in an advanced state. Regular screenings catch lung cancer in its infancy so you have a better chance of maintaining your quality of life.

Bronchogenic carcinoma refers to the two main types of lung cancer. Symptoms include:

Chest pain
Strong cough
Trouble swallowing
Coughing up blood
High-Pitch whistling sound when inhaling or exhaling
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Recurrence of pneumonia or bronchitis

Lung cancer screening program can save your life

Lee Health's expert and compassionate team focuses on individualized care, specializing in lung cancer screening and lung nodules. Private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid cover annual lung cancer screenings. For those patients without insurance, Lee Health offers several options to help. The clinic also provides an annual health-risk assessment, smoking cessation counseling, and an order for the lung cancer screening scan for those meeting national guideline criteria:

Age 50-80 years old, and;
Current or former smokers quitting within 15 years, and;
With at least a 20 pack-year smoking history*, and;
Do not have symptoms of lung cancer

_{*This is the number of years smoked multiplied by the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day. For example: 1 pack/day x 20 years = 20 pack years}

Advanced Lung Care Services Near You

Advanced Lung Care Center - Regional Cancer Center

8925 Colonial Center Dr, Suite 2002 Building A Fort Myers, FL 33905

Get Directions

Phone number (239) 343-5864

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I Eligible for a CT Lung Cancer Screening?

Detecting lung cancer early with a low-dose CT (LDCT) scan means better treatment and more opportunities for patients to take advantage of the most comprehensive options. Through this program, we provide screening for patients who meet the following criteria:

Are 50-80 years old
Have a 20 pack-a-year smoking history (Example: 1 pack/day x 20 years = 20 packs-a-year)
Are a current smoker or quit less than 15 years ago
Have no signs or symptoms of lung cancers

How Does the Low Dose CT Scan Work?

The scan requires no IVs or medications. You lie still on a table and slowly move through the scanner. The computer takes pictures and puts them together for an incredibly detailed image that identifies small nodules or other abnormalities in your lungs. You will also have the full support of our dedicated cancer experts and friendly staff, who will guide you and your family every step of the way.

How Much is the Procedure?

Worried about payment? Medicare began national lung cancer screening coverage in 2015, and most insurance will help with costs. If you are uninsured, Lee Health offers a self-pay program and financial assistance if you meet the criteria. Please let us know how we can help.

What if the Scan Finds an Abnormality?

Please remember that an abnormality does not automatically mean you have cancer. Our lung cancer screening often uncovers COPD, coronary artery calcification, aortic aneurysm, or other conditions.

But if an abnormality is suspicious for lung cancer, our team— in collaboration with your primary care provider— will immediately send you for further testing or to a specialist who will initiate a diagnosis and treatment plan.

Worried about Radiation Exposure?

The scan’s radiation exposure is more than a regular X-ray but less than a regular CT scan. We hope patients understand that radiation in a low-dose CT is about equal to what you receive in your natural environment over six months.

If the screening finds no problems, we will recommend the screening each year until you are no longer a candidate or you reach age 77.

Looking to Schedule a Lung Screening?

Schedule a Screening Today

Physicians recommend a lung screening for current and former smokers. A lung screening can save your life. Schedule a screening with our team here.

What Smoking Does to Your Lungs

The CDC said cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. Every year, it kills nearly a half a million people. “Smoking is an addiction just like any other drug,” said Lee Health Nurse Practitioner Bobbi Marino. The damage done by smoking or vaping is irreversible. “Your lungs weren’t meant to have anything filter through them, so anything that’s filtered through them, it’s similar to like an air conditioner vent, you can clean out an air conditioner, but it gets dust and dirt, so it works better, but your lungs you can’t.”

Smoking accounts for about 80% of the cause of lung cancer. “When they attract the tar, the nicotine, the moisture from the Vape, it’s damaging that tissue that is going to scar, and cancer or any other disease filters its way into an area that’s diseased,” said Marino.

Smokers are also more likely to develop things like heart disease and stroke. “It puts you at a higher risk for when you do get sick you’re going to have a longer time for healing, because your lungs are already compromised,” said Marino.

While your lungs won’t repair themselves, you can prevent further damage by quitting smoking. “You will always have some type of damage; you will never be at a 0% risk after smoking. You’ll always have some type of risk factor for lung cancer after you’ve smoked,” said Marino. Lee Health offers plenty of resources to help you quit. You can find them by searching for smoking cessation on leehealth.org.

What are the different types of lung cancer?

Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

Heavy cigarette smokers will experience small-cell lung cancer more than casual smokers. This occurs when cancer spreads through tissue, the lymph system, and blood to other parts of the body. The small, oval-sized cells spread beyond the lungs and become the more advanced stages of cancer within the lungs.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

More common cases of lung cancer will be non-small cell lung cancer. This includes lung nodules that are oval-shaped growths within the lungs. About 80% of subtypes are one of the following:

Adenocarcinoma: Forms in casual smokers to former smokers and typically more likely to occur in younger people. Mucous cells that line the air sacs make it difficult to breathe as the cancer develops.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Flat cells form inside the airways of the lungs and central part of the lungs (bronchus). This cancer is linked to a history of cigarette smoking.
Large-Cell Carcinoma: Develops and grows very quickly and has similar characteristics to small-cell lung cancer.

Robotic Lung Biopsy

In the battle against lung cancer, every moment counts. That's why Lee Health proudly has added the ION robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform to its robotics program. The ION helps physicians perform minimally invasive biopsies to help detect lung cancer much sooner than traditional methods. Early detection is the key to improving chances of survival and the ION will undoubtedly help save lives.

Robotic Lung Biopsy

Lee Health provides the robotic assisted lung biopsy by the Ion™ Endoluminal System to help patients detect cancer. We use this robotic bronchoscopy to reach deep lung tissue to test for cancerous cells. Talk with your doctor to see if this procedure is best for you.

Looking to Schedule a Lung Screening?

Schedule a Screening Today

Physicians recommend a lung screening for current and former smokers. A lung screening can save your life. Schedule a screening with our team here.

Lung Cancer Support Group

Cancer Support Groups

Cancer support groups are gatherings that provide a secure environment for those impacted by the disease to talk about their feelings and experiences with other cancer patients.

Discovering and Curing Lung Cancer in 3 Weeks

Toni Lee was dealing with what she thought was kidney stones, however when she had imaging done and met with Dr. Shyam Kapadia, “He blew it up on the screen and he says, Toni that’s not meant to be there.”

The next step was a biopsy using the minimally invasive ION robotic bronchoscopy. “I said, fine, do it. It's so seamless because all I have to do is open my mouth, you put a tube down, there's no cutting, there's no blood, there's no danger,” said Lee.

The ION uses a patient’s CAT scan as a roadmap to precisely navigate the doctor to the suspected lesion in the lung. “The new technology allows us to get to cancer sites, suspected cancer sites, that are much further out into the lung parenchyma, outside, further away from the midline structures,” said Dr. Kapadia. Empowering doctors to find lung cancer at earlier and more treatable stages. “Finding stage one lung cancer is like finding a diamond in the rough.”

After the ION Biopsy confirmed Lee’s lung cancer, she was quickly able to get an appointment with Cardiothoracic Surgeon Dr. Randall Buss to remove that part of her lung. “It was so... The only word I can use is seamless,” said Lee. “And it means that I go out and have a life again without the shadow of maybe the cancer is going to come back again. They got it all, it was contained.” Discovering and curing lung cancer in just 3 weeks.