Surgery remains the primary treatment for early-stage lung cancer, and most commonly that means a procedure called lobectomy, which removes about one-third to one-half of the lung with the tumor. It’s the one treatment that offers patients with lung cancer their best option for prolonged survival.
Pathologists are key partners of the medical team whose investigations and findings are essential to successful surgical and treatment plans for cancer patients.
More than a century after his death, the legacy of Dr. Roswell Park remains strong. Today, Nov. 13, 2017, Buffalo Business First will induct him into the inaugural class of the Western New York Business Hall of Fame, which recognizes the region’s preeminent business leaders and innovators from the 1800s to the present. Here’s a brief introduction to this remarkable man.
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are called the zebra of cancers because they are rare, and behave very differently from other cancer types. While NETs are typically small and slow growing, they can develop anywhere in the body, most commonly the stomach, intestines, pancreas, lungs and liver. Since they don’t show up on typical PET scans, finding them at early stages or detecting metastasis is difficult.
About 70 percent of men receive their diagnosis when the disease is in its early stages. In most of those cases, the cancer tends to grow slowly and will never cause symptoms or lead to death.
“Someone may have a really significant exposure over a short period of time or a moderate exposure over a long period of time. What we know about asbestos and diesel and silica is, the greater the dose, the greater the risk.”
Advancements in technology have improved screening quality while decreasing the need for additional images. In 2011, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of tomosynthesis or 3D screening mammography. Since then, multiple studies have found that 3D screenings have reduced the need to recall patients for additional images up to 17 percent.