By Karen Kier, Pharmacist
On behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

The English rock band Deep Purple recorded Smoke on the Water in December of 1971.  The recording was based on true events from the fire at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland where the band was recording an album. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2017.

November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The key to awareness is early detection and screening for lung cancer especially with any risk factors.  The American Cancer Society has estimated more than 234,000 new lung cancer cases will be detected in 2024. Of this number, 80-90% will be in individuals who smoke or have smoked.  Each year about 7,300 cases of lung cancer occur in nonsmokers who were exposed to secondhand smoke. 

Secondhand smoke involves someone inhaling smoke from someone else’s lit cigarette or the exhaled air from the lungs of someone smoking near them. It is breathing in smoke in the environment around an individual who is smoking. Secondhand smoke contains at least 69 different toxins known to cause cancer.  

Thirdhand smoke is when the smoke particles settle in the surrounding environment. This can include furniture, curtains, car seats, clothes, toys and walls.  Thirdhand smoke contains over 250 dangerous chemicals embedded into the environment.  

A newer concept is fourth-hand smoke. Fourth-hand smoke is deposited on a smoker’s skin, hair and clothing. Evidence from studies indicates individuals can pick up and inhale chemicals from these items. The impact on health for fourth-hand smoke is still being investigated. 

Nicotine and other chemicals from smoking and vaping deposit on our surrounding environment. These chemicals including nicotine are readily absorbed across the skin. This is why nicotine patches are used to help individuals stop smoking—it crosses the skin into the bloodstream to provide nicotine to the body. The concept is no different from absorbing chemicals from secondhand and thirdhand smoke.

Early detection of lung cancer is critically important.  The 5-year survival rate is over 60% if caught in stage one. This is why the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends yearly lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography for individuals at risk of lung cancer. 

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open reported that 80% of individuals at high risk for lung cancer were unaware of lung cancer screening or had not talked to their physician about screening.  

Who should get screened?

The USPSTF recommends anyone 50-80 years of age receive a yearly screening for lung cancer if they have a 20 pack-year history of smoking or they currently smoke or they have quit smoking in the last 15 years.  

Medical personnel calculate a pack-year history, which is the number of packs per day times the number of years of smoking. So, a 20 pack-year history could include someone who has smoked 2 packs per day for 10 years or 1 pack per day for 20 years or ½ pack per day for 40 years. 

The USPSTF states screening can be stopped if someone has quit smoking for more than 15 years.  There is no specific recommendation for secondhand or thirdhand smoke.  Most insurance plans and Medicare cover the cost of screenings. 

Don’t be blinded by the smoke on the water, consult your healthcare professional about lung cancer screening. 

ONU Healthwise is offering the and COVID-19 vaccine clinics Monday - Friday from 2:00-6:00 p.m. For more information, call 419-772-3784.