Norton Clark Hospital raises awareness about lung cancer

Erik Hackman, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·1 min read

Nov. 29—JEFFERSONVILLE — November is lung cancer awareness month and Norton Clark Hospital offered information and screening scheduling Tuesday in its lobby.

The event was to help people who are at risk of the disease to be aware of the signs and to make sure they are having conversations with their doctors.

If they have an early screening for the disease, it will be easier for the doctors to detect and treat lung cancer.

"We want to make sure everyone's staying on top of their health, make sure they have a family doctor, having those conversations and looking at the risk factors," said Alicia Rousseau, Norton Clark Hospital's community outreach manager and registered nurse.

Clark County Tobacco Prevention was also there to inform people about the dangers of smoking and vaping and how to get help to quit.

There also was information about the dangers of secondhand smoking — when someone breathes in smoke that is breathed out by people who smoke or from burning tobacco products — and thirdhand smoke — when a smoker goes away from people to smoke but the chemicals are trapped in their clothes and can be spread to people through contact.

"People can get emphysema, COPD, even lung cancer just because they were around an environment of smokers," said Annie Reiss, Clark County Tobacco Prevention coordinator.

Vaping is another health concern that was talked about. From the chemical diacetyl, vaping can cause popcorn lung, a condition that damages the smallest airways of the lungs and causes coughing and shortness of breath.