Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, Md  –   On November 1, the John P. Murtha Cancer Center (MCC) at Walter Reed held its annual Lung Cancer Summit, showcasing the newest advancements in research, detection, and treatment. As the only Cancer Center of Excellence within the Department of Defense (DOD), the MCC continues to lead the way in cancer care.

U.S. Navy Capt. (Dr.) Melissa Austin, director of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (Walter Reed), said the MCC’s mission is very important to DOD because of cancer’s effect on young people and military readiness. According to figures from the DOD, the average age of an active-duty military member across all branches is 28 years old. “Young people get cancer, and cancer affects active-duty personnel and family members, said Austin, also a practicing pathologist in addition to serving as Walter Reed’s director.

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, studies have shown that military service members are more likely to smoke than civilians, according to DOD. Also, deployments can increase smoking rates by about 50 percent, some studies show. Some military assignments and occupations may also increase the risk factors for cancer, including exposure to environmental carcinogens.

“Making sure we provide cutting-edge care that gets our forces healthy and back in the fight as quickly as possible, and also supporting family members, are tremendously important,” said Austin. “It’s important to know [who’s at risk for lung cancer], screening them early, identifying tumors while they’re still small, and [discovering] other preventative and treatment options,” she said. Austin added that DOD is well positioned to drive research, treatment, and prevention efforts concerning lung cancer because of its patient population and health care system that includes skilled researchers and providers.

Studies indicate that while military personnel may be more susceptible to developing lung cancer compared to the general population, those in the Military Health System (MHS) tend to be diagnosed earlier and experience better overall outcomes. This is due to the superior access to health care that military members receive. The MHS’s “universal care model” generally allows beneficiaries to seek medical care sooner, leading to earlier detection and treatment of cancer.

Some symptoms of lung cancer include a cough that never goes away, spitting up blood, shortness of breath, fatigue, pain in the chest area and weight loss.

According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), every year in the United States, more than 200,000 new lung cancers are reported, and approximately 130,000 people die from the disease. Even after a diagnosis, some people continue to smoke, which is why Stephanie Land, Ph.D., program director and statistician in the Behavioral Research Program Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB) of the National Cancer Institutes (NCI), discussed smoking cessation in cancer care settings. She said all cancer patients should be screened for tobacco use and advised on the benefits of tobacco cessation. “Every cancer patient who smokes deserves treatment for tobacco dependence, [and] quitting improves prognosis,” she added.

Also, during the summit Dr. Michael Morris, of pulmonary/critical care at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, discussed a novel diagnostic tool. The procedure uses flow cytometry and machine learning for the early detection of lung cancer in patients who show positive low dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans with indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs) ranging from 6 to 29 mm, or approximately 1/25th of an inch to 1.14 inches.

“Early detection of lung cancer is crucial for improving patient outcomes,” Morris stated.

Other speakers during the summit discussed radiotherapy for lung cancer, robotic chest surgery, and cancer survivorship.

“As a result of advancements in diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care, the population of people living with advanced lung cancer is growing,” stated Marie Borsellino, a registered nurse and survivorship coordinator for the MCC. “The annual incidence of disease is 234,589 cases, and the number of people living after diagnosis of lung cancer now exceeds 175,000 in the U.S.,” she shared.

“Current standard of care with a combo of chemo plus immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) or tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have resulted in the possibility of years of life even after an advanced lung cancer diagnosis,” she added. ICIs are a type of immunotherapy that prevent the immune system from turning off before cancer is eliminated. TKIs are a class of drugs that treat cancer by blocking the action of tyrosine kinases, enzymes that are involved in cell growth, signaling, and division.

Every November, during Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the MCC hosts its annual Lung Cancer Summit to raise awareness about the disease, its prevention, and treatment. The summit attracts experts and individuals involved in the research, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship of lung cancer from around the globe, both in person and virtually. They come together to share the latest information concerning the disease and its impact on service members and others.

According to the DOD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, “lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States, accounting for 21 percent of all deaths. Lung cancer is generally diagnosed at an advanced, incurable stage because patients often lack signs and symptoms in the early stages of the disease.”

The DOD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs report also states that the lung cancer risk for service members is significant, with 24 percent to as high as 38 percent of those in uniform smoking compared to 14 percent of civilians.

“Despite improved screening methods for lung cancer and advances in treatment, the 5-year survival rate remains low at 27 percent for non-small cell lung cancer and only 7 percent for small cell lung cancer,” the DOD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs reported added.