White Plains Hospital Offers Life-Saving Lung Cancer Screening to Detect Cancer Earlier, When Surgery Offers A Cure

In early 2015, Marco Carcich, a 73-year old Brewster resident and heavy smoker, was leafing through his weekly Pennysaver when something caught his eye that would change his life forever. “I was looking for tag sales when I saw an ad for a clinical trial at White Plains Hospital. I remember thinking I had nothing to lose. Little did I realize that a simple lung cancer screening would save my life.”

Mr. Carcich, like more than 400 other patients, took part in a clinical trial for high-risk populations at White Plains Hospital to identify lung cancer in its earliest stages, when it’s most treatable. He was considered a good candidate for screening due to his significant smoking history, and the fact that he worked as a contractor and OSHA trainer in the 1960’s and 1970’s when he was exposed to asbestos in building materials. “My cancer was caused by asbestos,” says Mr. Carcich. “I worked side by side with many other people who probably have no idea that they were exposed either.” After a brief interview and questionnaire, he received a low-dose CT scan. The entire process took under an hour. Cancer was found in his left lung.

Mr. Carcich was lucky. The cancer was found early and he received treatment. But most lung patients are not as fortunate. “Over 75% of people with lung cancer are diagnosed when it is advanced, and then they aren’t eligible for curative surgery,” says Cynthia Chin, MD, a thoracic surgeon at White Plains Hospital. “We launched the clinical trial because it helps us find cancer at its earliest stage, when surgery is still an option and can provide a cure.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, killing approximately 158,000 people each year. That’s more than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. National studies have shown early low-dose CT scans to reduce the risk of death from lung cancer by 20 percent. As November marks the kick-off of the “Great American Smokeout” and Lung Cancer Awareness Month, it’s a good time for people who are at high risk to take action and get screened.

In Mr. Carcich’s case, Dr. Chin identified a nodule on Mr. Carcich’s left lung, where follow-up scans revealed that the cancer was growing. That’s when Dr. Chin and her colleagues, including fellow thoracic surgeon Dr. Todd Weiser, performed a segmentectomy—a procedure where a section of the lobe of the lung is removed along with surrounding tissue. Remarkably, Dr. Chin was able to operate successfully by making only three small one-centimeter incisions. White Plains Hospital surgeons perform more of these minimally invasive video-assisted thoracic surgeries (VATS) than any hospital in Westchester. The procedure is associated with shorter hospital stays, less postoperative pain, a reduced risk of infections, and a quicker recovery.

Ten months after his surgery in January 2016, Mr. Carcich says that he feels great “and the surgery hasn’t impacted my quality of life at all. I’m just so grateful to Dr. Chin and the whole team. I can’t say enough about their professionalism and concern for me.” Since his surgery, his subsequent lung scans have been clear and Mr. Carcich is cancer free.

As it turns out, Mr. Carcich did not need chemotherapy or radiation after his surgery, but, if he had, he was in the right place. The White Plains Hospital Center for Cancer Care has a full team of specialists in medical oncology and radiation oncology who work closely with the thoracic surgery team. In fact, all of the clinicians associated with a lung cancer patient’s case, from the primary care physician, to the pulmonologist and interventional radiologist collaborate on a personalized approach for each individual patient.

White Plains Hospital’s lung cancer screening is open to individuals who are at least 50 years of age, have smoked for 20 pack years, and are currently smoking or have stopped smoking within the last 20 years. The clinical trial at White Plains Hospital offers low-dose scans, plus smoking cessation counseling. Follow-up testing is immediately scheduled if findings are suspicious. Those who show no signs of the disease are encouraged to do a follow-up scan one year later.

Dr. Chin points out that some people don’t want to be screened for fear they will be diagnosed with cancer. However, that head in the sand approach can be a tragic mistake. “For lung cancer especially, early screening gives us the power to help save your life,” she notes.

For more information about early lung cancer screening, or to make an appointment, visit: http://www.wphospital.org/programs-services/thoracic-surgery/conditions-treatments/ny-lung-cancer-screening-and-nodule-center/?ref=NYLungScreeningNoduleCenter.org/