Yvette Walker
With KVCR News, I'm Yvette Walker. This is IE Latino Voices, where we invite representatives from Latino led and Latino serving organizations to share their stories and their impact in our region. Joining me today is Sameh Hanna, MD, Pulmonologist with Dignity Health Medical Group Inland Empire. Thank you for being with us today, Dr. Hanna.
Dr. Sameh Hanna
Thank you for having me.
Yvette Walker
Please share the inspiration behind your pursuit to become a pulmonologist.
Dr. Sameh Hanna
One of my best friends, who was a little older, had an incidental spot found on his lung. I was, back then, much younger and hadn't pursued my specialty. I was able to lead him to the right pulmonologist, and then to the right surgeon. He was a smoker, and we took out the cancer early. He is still with us, cancer free, and I never forgot it. And I thought that was the best thing when we're all scared of lung cancer, but yet you can treat it early, take it out, and you're back to normal. So here I am.
Yvette Walker
What a wonderful story. What is the most important message for listeners now?
Dr. Sameh Hanna
Find out if you could be at risk and be screened early so we can treat you early, get the best results.
Yvette Walker
Who should get lung cancer screenings and when?
Dr. Sameh Hanna
So you are considered at high risk if you have been a smoker for an average of what we would say 20 years, one pack a day. If you are someone who has smoked for that long, about a pack a day, and you're between the ages of 50 and 80, you should get lung cancer screening. And lung cancer screening basically is a low dose CAT scan, so it is not high dose radiation, like 10 x-rays, basically, which is not a lot. It's about an eighth radiation of a normal scan, and you would do that once a year. And this allows us to catch lung cancer early, where most people would not have any symptoms. And that's why we do the screening, because you don't want to wait until you have symptoms and then go get the screening or get an x-ray, because it may be a little late, but before you develop the symptoms you're at risk, you get screened - just like when females have mammograms, for example, they don't have to feel something to get a mammogram. You get it because you want to catch it early, right?
Yvette Walker
Preventative medicine is always key. What steps should someone at risk or with a persistent cough take, and how does your primary care physician fit in?
Dr. Sameh Hanna
Primary care physician is your first point of contact, and they are the one that will get you in quickest, and just ask if you are a candidate for screening, and they should easily request for you a low dose CAT scan.
Yvette Walker
Are there unique challenges regarding lung cancer in the Latino community?
Dr. Sameh Hanna
Sure, definitely. The challenge would be things like language barrier, sometimes access to health care, having a physician. A lot of people who have not yet had any problems medically don't have physicians, and they don't know where to go, and sometimes, with the language barrier, they don't go even if they have a physician to request or ask for care. Sometimes it's trust and not knowing that you can get the care that you need. So we need to build that trust and be proactive, talk to your primary care physician and overcome those challenges.
Yvette Walker
And what is one piece of advice for maintaining lung health?
Dr. Sameh Hanna
Number 1,2,3, and 4, don't smoke. 80 to 90% of cases of lung cancer are related to smoking, but there are others, such as environmental exposures, so through your job or where you live, if you're exposed to dust, fumes, chemicals, make sure that you're protected with a mask at all times that you're exposed. And then if you're at risk and you have smoked, make sure that you do your screening.
Yvette Walker
Perfect. Thank you for sharing all of this, Dr. Hanna. What is the best way to connect with you for more questions?
Dr. Sameh Hanna
Can easily reach me through Dignity Health. If you even just go into the Dignity Health website, pulmonology. My name Sameh Hanna. My office number is ther. If you have to be in the hospital for any reason, of course, I could see you at the hospital as well.
Yvette Walker
Dr. Hanna, thank you for making the time to share such an important message.
Dr. Sameh Hanna
Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.
Yvette Walker
Join us again next week for IE Latino Voices. You can find this story and others on our website at kvcrnews.org/IELatinoVoices. IE Latino Voices is produced by KVCR Public Media and is funded by generous support from San Antonio Regional Hospital. Here for life. For KVCR News, I'm Yvette Walker.
