Rush Limbaugh’s Surprise Advanced Lung Cancer Diagnosis — If You Smoke, Get Screened

Nearly 20% of people who die from lung cancer in the U.S. each year have never smoked or used any other form of tobacco, but those who do might consider such an option. The American Cancer Society recommends that anyone aged 55 to 74 years old get yearly Low-Dose CT scans if you also meet one of the following smoking-focused conditions:

• Are a current smoker or smoker who have quit in the past 15 years
• Have at least a 30 pack-year smoking history (this is the number of years you smoked multiplied by the number of packs of cigarettes per day)
• Receive counseling to quit smoking if you are a current smoker

Limbaugh, who has been known to smoke cigars, says he experienced no specific symptoms prior to his diagnosis, though earlier in January he had shortness of breath, which he initially feared was heart related.

RELATED VIDEO: An 89-Year-Old Survivor On Why Lung Cancer Doesn't Have to Bring You Down

Lung cancer by far claims the most lives in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease and Control. It’s the second most-common cancer in the U.S. for both men and women, according to the American Cancer Society.

There usually are no symptoms early on, notes the American Lung Association. By the time you start to notice symptoms, the cancer often has spread to other parts of the body.

Is Detection Possible?

Lung cancer “causes no issues until it has spread somewhere,” Dr. Joseph Friedberg, head of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation.

Dr. Joseph Friedberg on symptoms of lung cancer

“It causes no issues until it has spread somewhere,” said Dr. Friedberg. “So if it spreads to the bones, it may cause pain. If it spreads to the brain, it may cause something not subtle, like a seizure.”

It can also be something found in an X-ray.

RELATED VIDEO: Understanding the Lung Cancer Staging Process

“The question [then] is, ‘Well, what stage is it?’ … The things that you would ask for about lung cancer [include], ‘Any change in your breathing? Do you have a cough? Have you lost any weight? Do you have any pain anywhere?’ All of these things start to tick off in your head whether they have other potential problems.”

After the Diagnosis

“For lung cancer, particularly, there’s multiple types of doctors that might be involved in both making the diagnosis and helping to treat that diagnosis once it’s made. And that can include a medical oncologist,” Dr. Leena Gandhi, a thoracic oncologist, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation.

Dr. Leena Gandhi on diagnosing lung cancer and determining treatment

Oftentimes, she said, “it first includes a pulmonologist or a lung specialist who will be the one to evaluate symptoms and maybe make the diagnosis by getting a biopsy through something called a bronchoscopy, or sampling, where they see something abnormal within the lungs.”

This important process may include scans of the chest, abdomen, pelvis and brain to see if the cancer has started to spread outside of the lung. The results will guide treatment decisions.

If the cancer is local — meaning just in the lungs — surgery may be an option, said Dr. Friedberg. But if it has spread to the lymph nodes, medical therapy such as chemotherapy, targeted drugs and/or radiation can be as effective as surgery. However, if the cancer has spread outside of the lungs, chemotherapy and/or targeted drugs are used to control the cancer's growth as much as possible.

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