Wellstar Physicians Named as “Top Doctors” in Atlanta Magazine’s 2021 List

Annual lung cancer screenings are recommended preventive screenings—much like mammograms and colonoscopies. Yet in Georgia, fewer than 14% of patients who are eligible for lung cancer screenings get them.

Why the hesitation?

According to Dr. Daniel Fortes, a board-certified thoracic surgeon at Wellstar, the reasons for hesitation may include:

• Guilt: “I smoked. If there’s a problem, I caused it.”
• A lack of awareness about screening and insurance coverage
• Fear that screening will find something abnormal

It's important for current and former smokers age 50 and older to champion their health and stay up to date on lung screenings. When caught early, lung cancer is more treatable and likely curable.

“Wellstar puts our patients at the center of their care,” Dr. Fortes said. “We do everything to minimize patient anxiety and maximize the speed at which they travel through the system, so that we can get them to their treatment as quickly as possible.”

What is lung cancer screening?

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women. For many years, most cases were not detected until the disease was already advanced.

That began to change about 20 years ago. Research revealed that screenings with low-dose CT scans were finding cancer earlier, at a stage that is far more treatable. Today, we know that annual low-dose CT screenings for individuals at high risk have been shown to reduce lung cancer deaths by about 20%.

“That was a breakthrough,” Dr. Fortes said. “It was the first time we knew that there was something we could do to decrease the mortality of lung cancer proactively.”

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government agency, added annual lung cancer screenings to its list of recommended screenings. Medicaid, Medicare and most private insurance plans began covering the costs for patients over 50 whose smoking histories put them at risk.

The screening is painless and fast. Sometimes, the CT scan reveals a lung nodule, or a small, round growth. But not all nodules are cancerous. Old infections, scarring or inflammation can cause benign (non-cancerous) nodules. If the scan is abnormal, the patient will be referred to a Wellstar STAT Clinic for Lung Cancer.

Shorter time from diagnosis and treatment

At Wellstar, STAT Clinics (short for Specialty Teams and Treatments) provide dedicated guidance and help shorten the time from diagnosis to treatment. Within the STAT Clinic for Lung Cancer, the multidisciplinary care team may include a surgeon, pulmonologist, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and a nurse navigator.

Before a patient visits the STAT Clinic, their team meets to review their scan and develop an initial plan. The patient and their family then meet with the appropriate team members on the same day. Their nurse navigator provides education, support and advocacy from diagnosis through treatment and recovery.

“This takes away a lot of anxiety from patients who are running from one office to another without an answer,” Dr. Fortes said. “They have a defined plan, and we expedite everything. Things happen much faster. Our average is about four to six weeks total from when we first identify a problem to the time a patient receives treatment. That’s compared to four months nationwide—and we’re trying to decrease the time even more.”

Advancements in lung cancer treatment

For patients with early-stage lung cancer, surgery to remove the affected portion of the lung and surrounding lymph nodes is often the center of the treatment plan.

“Many patients with early-stage cancer are candidates for minimally invasive techniques, either by video techniques or robotics,” Dr. Fortes said. “These techniques require small incisions in the chest without much disruption or trauma to the chest wall.”

As a result, patients have less pain after surgery and recover faster. They often leave the hospital after a day or two.

“There have been so many advancements that have changed lung cancer care,” Dr. Fortes said. “When we find lung cancer at the earliest stages and patients have surgery, they have up to an 85% chance of being cured.”

Who should get annual lung cancer screening

If you are 50 or older, currently smoke or smoked in the past, ask your healthcare provider if you should have lung cancer screenings.

The American Lung Association and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend annual screening for adults 50 to 80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history. That could mean one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years.

The guidelines apply whether you still smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. You do not need to have symptoms to be screened.

Remember: Finding cancer early, when no symptoms are present, increases your chances of being cured or living longer with lung cancer.

Take the next steps toward screening

• Learn more about lung cancer screening at Wellstar.
• Call (470) 793-4AIR to learn more about eligibility, financial assistance or to schedule a screening.
• Read about a patient whose lung cancer screening results showed cancer in an early stage.
• Need a doctor? Find a Wellstar provider and book an appointment.

A throbbing knee, a painful hand or an aching back are a few common musculoskeletal issues that make sufferers wonder: “Do I need surgery, physical therapy or a steroid shot?”

The answer isn’t always simple according to Dr. Joseph Burns, Wellstar chief musculoskeletal officer.

Many patients assume that the source of their pain is in the area where they feel it, and they may diagnose themselves or choose to “wait and see” what happens.

However, pain is a warning sign, not a GPS.

How do I know it’s time to see an orthopedist?

Your first stop for joint pain may be your primary care provider or an urgent care center. They may suggest rest, using ice or heat, or taking anti-inflammatory medications. They may also refer you to an orthopedic specialist.

It’s wise to see an orthopedic specialist when:

• Rest or initial treatment isn’t lessening the pain
• You feel numbness, tingling or weakness
• You’ve been injured at work, in an accident or while playing a sport
• Your ability to move is limited
• You had a previous injury in the affected area
• Pain has lasted more than a few weeks or is interfering with sleep

What to expect at an orthopedic exam

An orthopedic exam starts with a medical history, including medications, past surgeries and any health conditions. Your provider will then zero in on what’s causing your pain, asking questions such as:

• When did the pain start?
• Were you injured?
• What activities make the pain worse?
• What have you been doing to relieve the pain?

Next your provider will do a physical exam, checking for pain, tenderness, strength and range of motion, and may refer you for an imaging test, such as an X-ray or MRI. This helps determine whether the pain is from structural damage, such as a break or sprain, or from a condition like arthritis, bursitis or tendonitis.

With a diagnosis in hand, your provider will discuss a treatment plan with you. Sometimes patients assume a visit to an orthopedist will put them on the fast track to the operating room. Not so, said Dr. Burns.

Most orthopedic care starts with nonsurgical options, such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory treatments and injections. Physical therapy can improve strength, flexibility and joint function, and in many cases, it can relieve pain without the need for surgical intervention. Surgery is a possible next step if those therapies fail or there is structural damage.

The risks of treating joint pain without an orthopedic evaluation

According to Dr. Burns it’s best not to put off getting an orthopedic evaluation and possibly second opinions. Misdiagnosis or starting the wrong treatment can delay healing and make underlying conditions worse.

Some patients who do their own research find a variety of options not supported by medical evidence. Those include cannabis-based (CBD) creams and stem cell treatments.

CBD can provide “a nice, moderate amount of relief,” said Dr. Burns. “Unfortunately, what we’ve seen is that those products help at first, but then less and less.”

Stem cells are in a class of biological treatments that are not FDA-approved for any orthopedic condition, such as arthritis or tendon injury. Treatments that are marketed as “stem cell therapy” typically use concentrated bone marrow aspirate, which contains very few true stem cells. Patients should ask their care team about stem cell therapies so that they can be properly educated and protect themselves before purchasing these expensive therapies.

Start with expert orthopedic care at Wellstar

Our orthopedic specialists deliver evidence-based care and personalized treatment plans. Wellstar patients have access to:

• Orthopedic specialists
• OrthoXpress for same-day urgent care
• Physical therapy
• State-of-the-art imaging
• Total joint care

To make an appointment, find a location near you.