ADVOCATE AUROURA HEALTHCARE SUPPORT THOSE THAT SAYS YES TO STOP SMOKING AND LUNG SCREENING DURING THE GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT

 

ADVOCATE AUROURA HEALTHCARE SUPPORT THOSE THAT SAYS YES TO STOP SMOKING AND LUNG SCREENING DURING THE GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT


Lung Cancer Patient Shares Story About The Importance of Getting Screened For Lung Cancer 


Chicago, IL - As we gear up for the Great American Smokeout, Sharon Patterson, 66, a former Advocate Christ Medical Center patient shares her story on the importance of getting screened for lung cancer. The Great American Smokeout is held on the third Thursday in November. Let this be your day to start your journey toward a smoke-free life. Join thousands of people who smoke across the country in taking an important step toward a healthier life and reducing risks of cancer.


Having come from a family of smokers and smoked for over 50 years herself; she started smoking around the age of 15 but didn't seriously start until she was in her late teen years smoking up to a pack a day. Her father also smoked from the age of 12 up until his passing at the age of 94.


Four years ago in 2018 Sharon got a lung cancer screening at Advocate Christ Medical Center, where her doctor reviewed her history knowing her smoking pattern and because she smoked for more than 30 years; smoking more than a pack a day. After saying yes, she decided to get screened for lung cancer. Her screening resulted in a nodule being found on one of her lungs, this concerned her doctor.


The doctor monitored her screening and followed up months later with additional testing. The nodule had begun to grow, resulting in the need for surgery to remove the nodule at its early stage and biopsied, it was found that it was, in fact, cancerous.


Having lost her mother to breast cancer motivates her to stay on top of getting her lungs screened with a low-dose CT scan every year. She says if anything was to develop again, she could detect it early and get ahead immediately.


Because of early testing, Sharon became a cancer survivor at an early stage. She never had any of anxiety that most people experience because she wasn't in pain and felt fine due to early detection.


Although she cold turkey-ed it for nine months, she slipped back into smoking again after some life circumstances. "It was hard but well worth it. I would never want to be addicted like that," Sharon explains. She currently has been smoke-free since August 2022. She says she doesn't enjoy smoking because of the cost, which made her ill, but she continues to stay encouraged and smoke-free daily. "It's not just the physical addiction; it's the emotional and mental addiction that's hard to break."


Because of advancements in medicine and technology, the chances of survival and living a good life are much greater than they were years ago. The screening process is straightforward, quick, and painless.


Sharon's lungs are still not completely healed from the number of cigarettes she smoked over the years, but she is ok with that because she is no longer ill, feels well, and is pain-free. Sharon is back to doing what she enjoys the most while living a cancer-free lifestyle. She adds that she

has many more holiday events and parties ahead of her.


Annual screening is recommended for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) in adults aged 50 to 77 with a 20-pack-year smoking history and who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.


If you meet the criteria for lung screening, don't be afraid to get tested. The purpose is to detect lung nodules that could potentially be cancerous. Early detection can increase the chances of living a better life.


Patterson is available for interview, along with Dr. Monaliben Patel, an Oncologist physician at Advocate Christ Medical Center who can share the importance of lung screening and early detection.

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