Oklahomans Face Higher Risk Of Lung Cancer Than National Rate

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Dr. Matthew Reinersman from OU Health joined News 9 to talk about the risk of lung cancer for Oklahomans.

According to the American Cancer Society, the rate of new lung cancer cases in Oklahoma is significantly higher than the national rate.

“Over 3000 Oklahomans will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year alone,” Dr. Reinersman said. “We're at the bottom in the recently released American lung association data on lung cancer. Part of it has to do with the risk factors for lung cancer like smoking, we have a very high rate of smoking in Oklahoma. So that leads to about 80 to 85 percent of patients who develop lung cancer, have a history of smoking or are currently smoking.”

Dr. Reinersman says that quitting smoking, or reducing exposure to smoke, is the key to reducing risks of lung cancer. He also recommends getting screened by a physician, in order to catch it early.

“If we can find it early, we know that the survival rate or cure rate is upwards of over 90 percent, if it's found when it's smaller than about an inch,” Dr. Reinersman said.

Smoking is not the only thing that can lead to higher chances of lung cancer. Dr. Reinersman says exposure to radon or hereditary predisposition can also be a factor.