DETROIT (WXYZ) — November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month - a time to raise awareness about America’s leading cancer killer. You heard that right - lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined.
I wanted to introduce you to Jim Pantelas, a 19-year lung cancer survivor from Howell who is shining a spotlight on the importance of screening and overcoming the stigma of lung cancer and an oncologist about the warning signs you need to know.
"I'm pretty much a unicorn," Pantelas said. "There aren't a lot of male survivors that have survived 19 years."
Pantelas, a Navy veteran, Detroit native and father of three, was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in 2005. He was facing grim odds. Jim’s cancer was discovered unexpectedly during an evaluation for joint pain.
"And what he said was, you're not having joint pain, you're having bone pain," Pantelas said.
As Jim’s body began pulling oxygen from his bones. That led to a chest x-ray and the discovery of a tumor. Surgeons removed about ¾ of his right lung. That was followed by extensive chemotherapy.
And while Jim did smoke, he quit years earlier. One of his other risk factors was his time in the navy working with asbestos.
"50 times more likely to get lung cancer than someone that just smokes," Pantelas said.
The Lung Cancer Foundation of America lists smoking as the number one risk factor for lung cancer, but highlights second hand smoke and exposure to radon as number three.
Radon is a natural colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas found in the soil here in southeast Michigan. In some counties, as many as half of homes exceed recommended guidelines.
"Environmental exposure to fumes and chemicals would contribute to the risk of developing lung cancer," said Dr. Zyad Kafri.
Dr. Kafri, an Oncologist at Henry Ford Health, says that includes exposure to air pollution from factories and heavy industry and smog.
But it is never too late to limit your exposure. And if your risks are high, screening is key. But Jim says far too many skip screening fearing a lung cancer diagnosis is a death sentence.
"I'm here. I have. I have survived for 19 years," Pantelas said.
And in the time, Jim and his wife had three daughters, now ages 15, 16, and 19.
"I've lived every minute since that diagnosis as if it was as if it was an extra gift," Pantelas said.
Lung cancer, if caught at stage 1, is often treatable and even curable. Yet, as Jim pointed out, awareness of screening remains low, with only about 10% of at-risk Michiganders getting checked.
"In literally less than three minutes," Pantelas said. "There is no prep. You don't have to undress. It's far easier than a mammogram."
Dr. Kafri urges his at-risk patients to undergo low-dose CT scans to catch the disease at stage 1 or stage 2.
"These are the curable stages when we have a cure rate of 60-80 percent," Dr. Kafri said.
He says the 5 year survival rate for stage 3 is between 30 and 40 percent. While a stage 4 diagnosis offers little hope.Jim says catching his lung cancer has made a world of difference for him and those he loves.
"It's been glorious because my family started then. So there is life after lung cancer," Pantelas said.
So who should undergo screening? The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends annual lung cancer screening for those:
- 50 to 80 years
- Have a 20 pack-year smoking history
- Currently smoke cigarettes or quit within the past 15 years
Others at high risk include those exposed to radon, asbestos or other Cancer-causing agents in the environment, particularly in the workplace, Significant amounts of second-hand smoke or have a first-degree relative who has had lung cancer.
