Lung Cancer
About Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths in Louisiana. Detecting lung cancer in its earliest stages can mean more tomorrows. Take charge of your health, and learn the facts. Be aware of lung cancer symptoms, risk factors, prevention and early detection.
Screenings
WHEN TO GET SCREENED
- Age 50 – 80 years
- Asymptomatic (no signs or symptoms of lung cancer)
- Tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack-years (one pack-year = smoking one pack per day for one year; 1 pack = 20 cigarettes)
- Current smoker or one who has quit smoking within the last 15 years
- Receives a written order for LDCT lung cancer screening
For eligibility and more information, please call to schedule a lung cancer screening.
- Baton Rouge and Gonzales: (225) 230-2525
- Covington: (985) 898-4581
- Houma: (985) 850-6052
Learn more about the screening program at Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center.
RISK FACTORS:
Risk factors for lung cancer include smoking and secondhand smoke, radon and asbestos exposure and pollution. In addition, family history, cancer history and history of COPD or Pulmonary Fibrosis could put you at greater risk. High Risk Status Screenings are recommended for ages 55-74 with a smoking history of 30 pack years or more and less than 15 years of smoking cessation; and ages 50 or older with a smoking history of minimum 20 pack years with at least one additional risk factor other than secondhand smoke.
SYMPTOMS:
Some signs of lung cancer may include a cough that does not go away or gets worse, coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm), new onset of wheezing or chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing. Other symptoms could be hoarseness, weight loss and loss of appetite, shortness of breath or feeling tired or weak, or infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that don’t go away or keep coming back.
Source: cancer.org
Our Lady of the Lake Tobacco Cessation Program
Quitting can be a challenge, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Quitting smoking is no easy task, especially if you’re acting alone. That’s why Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center has partnered with the Smoking Cessation Trust to provide free support to Louisiana residents who began their habit before September 1, 1988. If you don’t qualify under these guidelines, many insurance plans will cover the costs of medication and counseling.
This five-to-seven week program offers free medications, group and one-on-one counseling and quitline coaching. Sessions are led by experts who know firsthand how hard quitting can be. Using proven tools, they’ll work with you to create a personal plan based on your own obstacles so you can conquer your cravings once and for all. Learn more.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with our certified tobacco treatment specialist, please call (225) 215-1274.
Patient Stories
WANDA POCHE, LUNG CANCER SURVIVOR
“This holiday season will be the best ever because I have so very much to be grateful for,” said Wanda. “In the new year, I want to continue doing what I do best: make people laugh. I also want to travel, dance and fish. I’ve got so much life left to live and with the help of God, Dr. Cataldo and immunotherapy, I’m going to do just that.”
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer, often caused by exposure to asbestos and other hazardous toxins. It can take 40-50 years to develop. The majority of mesothelioma patients begin to exhibit symptoms of this disease with shortness of breath and chest pain.
In diagnosing the disease, patients are x-rayed to detect fluid in the chest. Fluid that accumulates as a result of mesothelioma will usually come back rapidly after being drained. If fluid is detected, biopsies from tissue around the lung will be obtained. Brain MRIs and PET scans can also be a part of the diagnosis process.
Treatment options for mesothelioma include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation (or a combination of the three). Other key aspects of treatment include nutrition, pain management, and psychosocial issues.
Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center’s Mesothelioma Program offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach for the development of an optimal care plan for patients. The Cancer Center’s Mesothelioma Specialty Treatment Team, a subsection of the Lung Cancer Multidisciplinary Care Team, includes pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists and interventional radiologists, and it is supported by a patient navigator who ensures personalized continuity of care at every stage.
For more information or to make an appointment, please call (225) 215-0250 or visit our Mesothelioma page.
Advanced Treatment
Gamma Knife Icon (GKI) is an innovative, noninvasive radiosurgery technology used for treating metastatic lung cancer when tumors have spread to the brain. The first of its kind in the Gulf South, GKI treats only the parts of the brain that need it, sparing healthy tissue and enhancing quality of life. There are no incisions with this treatment and, in most cases, little to no side effects. To learn more about the Gamma Knife Icon, click here.
Disease Site Team
Disease site teams, or multidisciplinary care teams, are specialists from each diagnostic, treatment and supportive care discipline working together in the same facility where state-of-the-art cancer treatment is given, and relevant research is conducted.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that involve human beings in order to test new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose or treat diseases. A drug must be part of a clinical trial before the FDA will approve it to be put on the market. Oncology clinical trials are conducted in order to test new drugs or a new combination of drug treatments, new surgery and radiation therapies and new medical devices.
Every cancer center patient is evaluated for participation in a clinical trial. Those who meet the criteria to participate in clinical research receive a standard of care treatment, but with the added benefit of a trial that may enhance their outcomes.
If interested in volunteering to participate in a clinical research trial, or if you have concerns about the conduct of clinical research, please contact the Clinical Research office at (225) 215-1353, or by email at clinicalresearch@marybird.com.
Trial Number: SWOG S1929
Title: Phase II Randomized Study of Maintenance Atezolizumab Versus Atezolizumab in Combination with Talazoparib in Patients with SLFN11 Positive Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (ES-SCLC)
Purpose: This phase II trial studies whether Atezolizumab in combination with Talazoparib works better than Atezolizumab alone as maintenance therapy for patients with SLFN11-positive extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.
Physicians: Drs. Bryan Bienvenu, Vince Cataldo, David Hanson, Kellie Schmeeckle, Daniel LaVie, Sobia Ozair, Joseph Shows, Derrick Spell, Siva Yadlapati, Lauren Zatarain, James Carinder, Jack Saux, Robert Gamble, Janeiro Valle Goffin, and Sukesh Manthri
Offered in: Baton Rouge, Covington, Houma
Trial Number: SWOG S1914
Title: A Randomized Phase III Trial od Induction/Consolidation Atezolizumab (NSC #783608) + SBRT Versus SBRT Alone in High Risk, Early Stage NSCLC
Purpose: This trial studies how well atezolizumab added to the usual radiation therapy works in treating patients with stage I-IIA non-small cell lung cancer. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as Atezolizumab, may help the body’s immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread.
Physicians: Drs. Bryan Bienvenu, Vince Cataldo, David Hanson, Kellie Schmeeckle, Daniel LaVie, Sobia Ozair, Joseph Shows, Derrick Spell, Siva Yadlapati, Lauren Zatarain, James Carinder, Jack Saux, Robert Gamble, Janeiro Valle Goffin, and Sukesh Manthri
Offered in: Baton Rouge, Covington, Houma
Trial Number: ECOG 5191
Title: A Randomized Phase II Trial of Cabozantinib and Cabozantinib plus Nivolumab Versus Standard Chemotherapy in Patient with Previously Treated Non-Squamous NSCLC
Purpose: This phase II trial compares Cabozantinib alone and the combination of Cabozantinib and Nivolumab to standard chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Cabozantinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.
Physicians: Drs. Bryan Bienvenu, Vince Cataldo, David Hanson, Kellie Schmeeckle, Daniel LaVie, Sobia Ozair, Joseph Shows, Derrick Spell, Siva Yadlapati, Lauren Zatarain, James Carinder, Jack Saux, Robert Gamble, Janeiro Valle Goffin, and Sukesh Manthri
Offered in: Baton Rouge, Covington, Houma
Trial Number: Alliance A081105
Title: Randomized Study of Erlotinib Vs. Observation in Patients with Completely Resected Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Purpose: This phase III ALCHEMIST trial studies how well Erlotinib Hydrochloride compared to observation works in treating patients with stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been completely removed by surgery.
Physicians: Drs. Bryan Bienvenu, Vince Cataldo, David Hanson, Kellie Schmeeckle, Daniel LaVie, Sobia Ozair, Joseph Shows, Derrick Spell, Siva Yadlapati, Lauren Zatarain, James Carinder, Jack Saux, and Robert Gamble.
Offered in: Baton Rouge, Covington, Houma
Trial Number: Alliance A151216
Title: Adjuvant Lung Cancer Enrichment Marker Identification and Sequencing Trial (ALCHEMIST)
Purpose: This research trial studies genetic testing in screening patients with stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been or will be removed by surgery. Studying the genes in a patient’s tumor cells may help doctors select the best treatment for patients that have certain genetic changes.
Physicians: Drs. Bryan Bienvenu, Vince Cataldo, David Hanson, Daniel LaVie, Sobia Ozair, Kellie Schmeeckle, Joseph Shows, Derrick Spell, Siva Yadlapati, Lauren Zatarain; James Carinder, Jack Saux, and Donald Hill.
Offered in: Baton Rouge, Covington, and Houma.
Trial Number: Alliance A081801
Title: Integration of Immunotherapy Into Adjuvant Therapy for Resected NSCLC ALCHEMIST CHEMO-IO
Purpose: This phase III ALCHEMIST trial compares the addition of Pembrolizumab to usual chemotherapy versus usual chemotherapy for the treatment of stage IB, II, or IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been removed by surgery.
Physicians: Drs. Bryan Bienvenu, Vince Cataldo, David Hanson, Kellie Schmeeckle, Daniel LaVie, Sobia Ozair, Joseph Shows, Derrick Spell, Siva Yadlapati, Lauren Zatarain, James Carinder, Jack Saux, Robert Fields, Katherine Castle, Maurice King, Charles Wood, Jingya Wang, Jeffery Long, Andrew Elson, and Robert Gamble.
Offered in: Baton Rouge, Covington, and Houma.
Trial Number: E4512
Title: A Randomized Phase III Trial for Surgically Resected Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Crizotinib versus Observation for Patients with Tumors Harboring the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) Fusion Protein
Purpose: This randomized phase III trial studies how well crizotinib works and compares it to placebo in treating patients with stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been removed by surgery and has a mutation in a protein called anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). Mutations, or changes, in ALK can make it very active and important for tumor cell growth and progression. Crizotinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the ALK protein from working. Crizotinib may be an effective treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and an ALK fusion mutation.
Physicians: Drs. Bryan Bienvenu, Vince Cataldo, David Hanson, Daniel LaVie, Sobia Ozair, Kellie Schmeeckle, Joseph Shows, Derrick Spell, Siva Yadlapati and Lauren Zatarain; James Carinder, and Jack Saux, and Donald Hill.
Offered in: Baton Rouge, Covington, and Houma.
Trial Number: NRG LU002
Title: Maintenance Systemic Therapy Versus Local Consolidative Therapy (LCT) Plus Maintenance Systemic Therapy for Limited Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): A Randomized Phase II/III Trial
Purpose: This randomized phase II/III trial studies how well giving maintenance chemotherapy with or without local consolidation therapy works in treating patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.
Physicians: Drs. Katherine Castle, Jingya Wang, Charles Wood, Bryan Bienvenu, David Hanson, Daniel LaVie, Kellie Schmeeckle, Derrick Spell, Vince Cataldo, Sobia Ozair, Joseph Shows, Siva Yadlapati, and Lauren Zatarain
Offered in: Baton Rouge
Trial Number: LungMap
Title: A Master Protocol to Evaluate Biomarker – Driven and Immunotherapies in Previously – Treated Non – Small Cell Lung Cancer (Lung – MAP Screening Study)
Purpose: This screening and multi-sub-study randomized phase II/III trial will establish a method for genomic screening of similar large cancer populations followed by assigning and accruing simultaneously to a multi-sub-study hybrid Master Protocol (Lung-MAP).
Physicians: Drs. Bryan Bienvenu, David Hanson, Daniel LaVie, Kellie Schmeeckle, Derrick Spell, James Carinder, Jack Saux, Vince Cataldo, Sobia Ozair, Joseph Shows, Siva Yadlapati, Lauren Zatarain and Donald Hill.
Offered in: Baton Rouge, Covington, Houma
Title: Limited Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (LS-SCLC): Phase II/III Randomized Study of Chemoradiation versus Chemoradiation Plus Atezolizumab
Purpose: This phase II/III trial studies how well chemotherapy and radiation therapy (chemoradiation) with or without atezolizumab works in treating patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer.
Physicians: Drs. Bryan Bienvenu, Vince Cataldo, David Hanson, Kellie Schmeeckle, Daniel LaVie, Sobia Ozair, Joseph Shows, Derrick Spell, Siva Yadlapati, Lauren Zatarain, James Carinder, Jack Saux, Robert Fields, Katherine Castle, Maurice King, Charles Wood, Jingya Wang, Jeffery Long, Andrew Elson, Robert Gamble
Offered in: Baton Rouge, Covington, Houma
Additional Support
- American Cancer Society: The American Cancer Society website contains information on many aspects of cancer care geared toward patients and caregivers.
- Center for Disease and Prevention: The Centers for Disease and Prevention website provides resources for breast cancer patients.
- National Cancer Institute: National Cancer Institute is a federal program that is part of the National Institutes of Health. It has resources and information for patients and caregivers which is based on scientific research.
