A new Sutter program in S.F. looks for lung cancer during mammograms

Key Points:

• Jennifer Morrice, a healthy 45-year-old lifelong non-smoker, was unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage 3 lung cancer after visiting the emergency room for stomach pain, highlighting the rise of lung cancer in non-smokers, especially women.
• Lung cancer in non-smokers now accounts for 10% to 20% of U.S. cases, disproportionately affecting women, particularly those of Asian descent, due to genetic mutations and environmental exposures like secondhand smoke and radon.
• Sutter Health’s CPMC launched the GLAMS program to screen women for lung cancer during routine mammograms, aiming to catch cases early in women who do not meet current smoking-related screening guidelines.
• The GLAMS initiative offers lung cancer CT scans to women meeting current guidelines and plans to expand screening to those with other risk factors, funded by philanthropic donations since insurance doesn’t cover non-smoking-related screenings.
• Morrice, now a lung cancer advocate, urges women to take advantage of early screening opportunities like GLAMS, emphasizing the potential to save lives through accessible, low-cost testing.