Good Samaritan Hospital will host their 2nd annual Lung Health and Wellness Forum on November 29. The event will focus on the prevention of lung cancer--which is the leading cause of cancer death in the San Jose community--and the latest developments in thoracic surgery and screening.
The Forum takes place at Good Samaritan Hospital’s auditorium, which is located at 2425 Samaritan Drive in San Jose. The reception begin at 5:30 p.m. with a light meal, and the lecture program will follow at 6:30 p.m.
A panel of Good Samaritan Hospital experts will address topics such as how to optimize lung health, and the effects and risks related to smoking cannabis. Additionally, they will demonstrate SuperDimension, a navigational bronchoscopy system, and da Vinci, a robotic surgical system. Speakers will include lung navigator Sheila Brennan, RN, OCN; Dr. George Labban, medical oncology; Dr. Steven Schwartz, thoracic and cardiac surgery; and Dr. Gordon Wong, radiation oncology.
“Lung cancer is far and away the leading cause of cancer death not just in our local area in northern California, but in the entire United States, killing close to 160,000 people a year,” said Dr. Schwartz. “The difficulty with lung cancer is that symptoms do not present themselves until the disease is quite advanced and often untreatable. However, screening can catch lung cancer in its first or second stages, and subsequent early treatment can allow for potential survival rates of up to 80 percent.”
Good Samaritan Hospital’s lung cancer screening uses the latest low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan, which is quick and painless for patients and offers the most advanced imaging technology to allow for early detection. The hospital’s lung program includes a team of Board-certified pulmonologists, radiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and oncologists, plus oncology certified nurses and navigators to help patients with their treatment protocol.
“Today’s screening technology can clearly identify nodules or masses growing in the chest, which smokers are at a much higher risk of developing,” said Dr. Labban. “Even if you quit smoking within the past 15 years, consult a doctor now for a lung cancer screening, particularly if you are between 55 and 77 years old. We highly encourage current smokers, and heavy smokers who smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day for more than 30 years, to come get a scan.”
Good Samaritan Hospital also hosts weekly Smoking Cessation Workshops every Thursday at 6 p.m. The workshops are free, open to the public, and run by a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist.
For more information on Good Samaritan Hospital’s Lung Cancer Screening program, please visit our oncology page.
For the latest information on Good Samaritan Hospital’s Smoking Cessation Workshops, please visit our classes and events page.
About Good Samaritan Hospital
Good Samaritan Hospital, a 474-bed acute care hospital in the heart of Silicon Valley, has been delivering elite level care with compassion since 1965. Its two locations include the main campus in San Jose, California and the Mission Oaks campus in Los Gatos, California. Good Samaritan Hospital is recognized nationally for quality and safety by The Joint Commission as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® and with the Gold Seal of Approval® for Sepsis Certification, and for Hip and Knee Joint Replacement Certification. Good Samaritan Hospital is a Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, STEMI Receiving Center, and a five-time recipient of the American College of Surgeons Outstanding Achievement Award in cancer care. For more information visit, Good Samaritan Hospital.