Selected Podcast
Advancements in Lung Cancer Treatment
In this episode of Conversations on Cancer, Dr. Joehar Hamdan, an oncologist and hematologist at the Riverside Cancer Institute, joins us to talk about lung cancer awareness and advancements in treating lung cancer.
Featured Speaker:
Joehar Hamdan, DO
Dr. Joehar Hamdan is a medical oncologist and hematologist. He sees patients at Riverside's Frankfort Campus and at the Riverside Cancer Institute in Bourbonnais. Transcription:
Advancements in Lung Cancer Treatment
Gabby Cinnamon: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. An estimated 238,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Today, Dr. Hamdan, an oncologist and hematologist at Riverside's Frankfurt Campus and Cancer Institute in Bourbonnais, will join us to talk about lung cancer risk factors, treatment advancements and outlook. welcome back to Conversations on Cancer, brought to you by the Riverside Cancer Institute. I'm your host, Gabby Cinnamon. And today, I'm back with Dr. Hamdan. Thanks so much for coming on the podcast today, Dr. Hamdan.
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Thanks for having me. Good morning to you.
Gabby Cinnamon: Good morning. Before we get in today's episode, can you tell us a little bit about your background?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So, I'm a medical oncologist. I've been in practice now in medicine for about 15 years, and I've been here at Riverside for a little over seven years. And most of my time has been dedicated to treating patients with cancer and blood disorders.
Gabby Cinnamon: So, how is lung cancer diagnosed?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Typically, it is diagnosed with symptoms. So, a patient may come into the hospital with chest pain, shortness of breath. Sometimes, unfortunately, they could be coughing up and having some blood in their sputum. Other times, it could be caught early on with lung cancer screening.
Gabby Cinnamon: What are the different types of lung cancer?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So, there's two major types. There's non-small cell and small cell.
Gabby Cinnamon: I'm sure getting a lung cancer diagnosis can be scary and overwhelming. What are some of the treatment options patients have available to them when they receive this diagnosis?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So, it's amazing that in the last five to seven years, there has been just an astronomical growth in the amount of treatment options that we have for patients with cancer, specifically non-small cell lung cancer. Nowadays, it's a lot different than historically what we were able to offer patients. So, some of the treatment options we have at Riverside are your chemotherapy, which is the traditional therapy. And now, more of our patients are actually on immunotherapy and this really has changed the landscape in lung cancer therapy. We also have state-of-the-art radiation machines that have also helped in treating patients with lung cancer.
Gabby Cinnamon: That's amazing to hear that it's gotten better because I think it used to be so much more grim. And that's great, that things are moving in a positive direction.
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Yeah. In fact, if I may, the five-year survival now has almost doubled, if not more, in stage IV lung cancers.
Gabby Cinnamon: Oh, wow. That's amazing. So, let's talk a little bit more about immunotherapy. When I was researching for this episode, as a non-clinical person trying to familiarize myself with some different things, we've been seeing and hearing a lot more about immunotherapy. What is immunotherapy and when is that an option for patients?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So, immunotherapy is a fantastic mechanism. Basically, what it does is cancer, why it's so hard to treat, it's not like an infection. If I give you an antibiotic, it's not going to kill your own cells. With cancer cells, they hide and they act as if they're your own normal cells. So, it's very hard for the immune system to pick up on these cells. And so, what happens is, basically, what I tell my patients, they have this cloak and immunotherapy kind of removes that benefit of having that cloak to look like they're just normal cells, and that allows the immune system to then attack the cancer cells.
So, it's really what I tell my patients, strengthening your immune system to fight the cancer. And it's sometimes, actually a lot more times, less toxic than the traditional chemotherapy. And we typically use it on our stage III or stage IV lung cancers, specifically the non-small cell lung cancers.
Gabby Cinnamon: That's great because, before you said that kind of how you were describing it, it would make sense that when people are going through treatment, obviously, everyone can have a different reaction, but it can be very hard on the body and it kind of sounds like hopefully that's not as much the case with immunotherapy, which is great for patients.
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: That's correct, yes.
Gabby Cinnamon: How would you say the treatment for lung cancer has changed? I know you've mentioned things have gotten a lot better in the last five to 10 years, and how has it improved over the last 10, 15 years, would you say?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So before, we used to treat the cancer based on its histology, meaning where did it come from and what type. We didn't have too many different types of cells, tissue per se, in our body. Now, we are checking what's called next generation sequencing. So, we are able to look at the DNA of the cancer itself, and that is different than the body's DNA. And so, that allows us to use what's called precision medicine. Precision medicine, I could sometimes just give you a pill that will unlock that mutation and halt it from allowing the cancer cell to keep multiplying, and it's just one pill a day. I have several patients that are seven years out now, just on pills for lung cancer, stage IV.
Gabby Cinnamon: Oh, my gosh. That's amazing. That's amazing. What advances do you hope to see in lung cancer treatment in the future?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Well, allow me to say this, I hope that we kind of continue with this momentum, but also to kind of talk about what leads to cancer. And I feel like we still have a lot of people that smoke in our community. Alcohol has been actually associated strongly with the risk of developing cancer. Poor sleep, lack of exercise, poor eating habits have all contributed to the development of cancer. So as much as I want more to help cure our patients, I really hope that we can sit there and embark on ways to help eliminate even needing it to be treated.
Gabby Cinnamon: Yeah, that makes sense. I think kind of in these podcasts, a common theme that comes up is there are a lot of things out of your control when it comes to getting cancer, but then there are also a lot of things in your control to help risk reduction? You can't eliminate all risk in your life in anything.
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Exactly. But you can minimize it.
Gabby Cinnamon: Yeah. That makes sense. So, shifting gears a bit. In the beginning, you mentioned early detection and screening. So, Riverside has a lung cancer screening program. How does early detection help improve lung cancer prognosis?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Simply, you know, obviously, we're screening patients starting in an age roughly around 55 and you could ask your primary care physician to see if you're an appropriate candidate for lung cancer screening. But when we catch things early, they could be simply surgically resected and sometimes not need any chemotherapy. And that's a lot better than, God forbid, presenting with something going on like brain mets or liver mets or bone mets. So, that really would then increase your overall survival a hundred percent.
Gabby Cinnamon: Are there any early warning signs of lung cancer? I know earlier you had mentioned some kind of the later ones, but are there any ones that maybe people don't think about that might be signs?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Good question. We talk about this chronic cough that's just not going away. And sometimes your provider may say, Well, let's try this antibiotic, that antibiotic. And sometimes you decide, This is viral. This is because, you know, I smoked in the past and this is just a phlegm from the smoking. Chronic cough is one thing. Unintentional weight loss, if you decided at the beginning of the year that you're going to lose 50 pounds and you lost it in the first three months and you're just sitting watching TV, that's not because you're eating healthier and exercising.
You want to make sure that you're not losing this weight. Any sign of unintentional weight loss, you did not work for this weight loss, should prompt you to think about cancer. Other signs could be pain, chest wall pain. It's not a heart attack. I'm not really short of breath, but that could be a sign of a cancer and change in your voice too could be a sign. Let's just say it becomes more hoarse, that could be a sign that you have an underlying cancer.
Gabby Cinnamon: Going back to those risk factors, can you remind us again how someone can reduce their risk for lung cancer?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So, many health organizations have stated that any amount of alcohol can increase your risk for cancer in general, and smoking. So, those two things, if we combat those two things, that will reduce the risk of developing lung cancer in general. And like I said, healthy diet and exercise. We talked earlier about immunotherapy, enhancing your body's immune system to fight the cancer. Well, what strengthens your immune system more than exercising and eating right and sleeping well, and it's all about mind, body, and spirit. Our bodies are not diesel engines. We're human beings and we need to take time to take care of ourselves.
Gabby Cinnamon: Yeah, for sure. Overall health and wellness.
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Exactly.
Gabby Cinnamon: Is there anything else you would like to add before we go?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: I hope I've been able to elaborate on everything that I could share with you here about what to look for, signs and symptoms of lung cancer, what ways to prevent it, early screening, and the plethora of options for treatment here in the future. I really thank you for having me.
Gabby Cinnamon: Thank you so much for coming on the podcast today, Dr. Hamdan. And thank you listeners for tuning in to Conversations on Cancer brought to you by the Riverside Cancer Institute. For more information, visit riversidehealthcare.org/cancer. Make sure to leave a review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to our podcasts.
Advancements in Lung Cancer Treatment
Gabby Cinnamon: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. An estimated 238,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Today, Dr. Hamdan, an oncologist and hematologist at Riverside's Frankfurt Campus and Cancer Institute in Bourbonnais, will join us to talk about lung cancer risk factors, treatment advancements and outlook. welcome back to Conversations on Cancer, brought to you by the Riverside Cancer Institute. I'm your host, Gabby Cinnamon. And today, I'm back with Dr. Hamdan. Thanks so much for coming on the podcast today, Dr. Hamdan.
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Thanks for having me. Good morning to you.
Gabby Cinnamon: Good morning. Before we get in today's episode, can you tell us a little bit about your background?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So, I'm a medical oncologist. I've been in practice now in medicine for about 15 years, and I've been here at Riverside for a little over seven years. And most of my time has been dedicated to treating patients with cancer and blood disorders.
Gabby Cinnamon: So, how is lung cancer diagnosed?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Typically, it is diagnosed with symptoms. So, a patient may come into the hospital with chest pain, shortness of breath. Sometimes, unfortunately, they could be coughing up and having some blood in their sputum. Other times, it could be caught early on with lung cancer screening.
Gabby Cinnamon: What are the different types of lung cancer?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So, there's two major types. There's non-small cell and small cell.
Gabby Cinnamon: I'm sure getting a lung cancer diagnosis can be scary and overwhelming. What are some of the treatment options patients have available to them when they receive this diagnosis?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So, it's amazing that in the last five to seven years, there has been just an astronomical growth in the amount of treatment options that we have for patients with cancer, specifically non-small cell lung cancer. Nowadays, it's a lot different than historically what we were able to offer patients. So, some of the treatment options we have at Riverside are your chemotherapy, which is the traditional therapy. And now, more of our patients are actually on immunotherapy and this really has changed the landscape in lung cancer therapy. We also have state-of-the-art radiation machines that have also helped in treating patients with lung cancer.
Gabby Cinnamon: That's amazing to hear that it's gotten better because I think it used to be so much more grim. And that's great, that things are moving in a positive direction.
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Yeah. In fact, if I may, the five-year survival now has almost doubled, if not more, in stage IV lung cancers.
Gabby Cinnamon: Oh, wow. That's amazing. So, let's talk a little bit more about immunotherapy. When I was researching for this episode, as a non-clinical person trying to familiarize myself with some different things, we've been seeing and hearing a lot more about immunotherapy. What is immunotherapy and when is that an option for patients?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So, immunotherapy is a fantastic mechanism. Basically, what it does is cancer, why it's so hard to treat, it's not like an infection. If I give you an antibiotic, it's not going to kill your own cells. With cancer cells, they hide and they act as if they're your own normal cells. So, it's very hard for the immune system to pick up on these cells. And so, what happens is, basically, what I tell my patients, they have this cloak and immunotherapy kind of removes that benefit of having that cloak to look like they're just normal cells, and that allows the immune system to then attack the cancer cells.
So, it's really what I tell my patients, strengthening your immune system to fight the cancer. And it's sometimes, actually a lot more times, less toxic than the traditional chemotherapy. And we typically use it on our stage III or stage IV lung cancers, specifically the non-small cell lung cancers.
Gabby Cinnamon: That's great because, before you said that kind of how you were describing it, it would make sense that when people are going through treatment, obviously, everyone can have a different reaction, but it can be very hard on the body and it kind of sounds like hopefully that's not as much the case with immunotherapy, which is great for patients.
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: That's correct, yes.
Gabby Cinnamon: How would you say the treatment for lung cancer has changed? I know you've mentioned things have gotten a lot better in the last five to 10 years, and how has it improved over the last 10, 15 years, would you say?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So before, we used to treat the cancer based on its histology, meaning where did it come from and what type. We didn't have too many different types of cells, tissue per se, in our body. Now, we are checking what's called next generation sequencing. So, we are able to look at the DNA of the cancer itself, and that is different than the body's DNA. And so, that allows us to use what's called precision medicine. Precision medicine, I could sometimes just give you a pill that will unlock that mutation and halt it from allowing the cancer cell to keep multiplying, and it's just one pill a day. I have several patients that are seven years out now, just on pills for lung cancer, stage IV.
Gabby Cinnamon: Oh, my gosh. That's amazing. That's amazing. What advances do you hope to see in lung cancer treatment in the future?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Well, allow me to say this, I hope that we kind of continue with this momentum, but also to kind of talk about what leads to cancer. And I feel like we still have a lot of people that smoke in our community. Alcohol has been actually associated strongly with the risk of developing cancer. Poor sleep, lack of exercise, poor eating habits have all contributed to the development of cancer. So as much as I want more to help cure our patients, I really hope that we can sit there and embark on ways to help eliminate even needing it to be treated.
Gabby Cinnamon: Yeah, that makes sense. I think kind of in these podcasts, a common theme that comes up is there are a lot of things out of your control when it comes to getting cancer, but then there are also a lot of things in your control to help risk reduction? You can't eliminate all risk in your life in anything.
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Exactly. But you can minimize it.
Gabby Cinnamon: Yeah. That makes sense. So, shifting gears a bit. In the beginning, you mentioned early detection and screening. So, Riverside has a lung cancer screening program. How does early detection help improve lung cancer prognosis?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Simply, you know, obviously, we're screening patients starting in an age roughly around 55 and you could ask your primary care physician to see if you're an appropriate candidate for lung cancer screening. But when we catch things early, they could be simply surgically resected and sometimes not need any chemotherapy. And that's a lot better than, God forbid, presenting with something going on like brain mets or liver mets or bone mets. So, that really would then increase your overall survival a hundred percent.
Gabby Cinnamon: Are there any early warning signs of lung cancer? I know earlier you had mentioned some kind of the later ones, but are there any ones that maybe people don't think about that might be signs?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Good question. We talk about this chronic cough that's just not going away. And sometimes your provider may say, Well, let's try this antibiotic, that antibiotic. And sometimes you decide, This is viral. This is because, you know, I smoked in the past and this is just a phlegm from the smoking. Chronic cough is one thing. Unintentional weight loss, if you decided at the beginning of the year that you're going to lose 50 pounds and you lost it in the first three months and you're just sitting watching TV, that's not because you're eating healthier and exercising.
You want to make sure that you're not losing this weight. Any sign of unintentional weight loss, you did not work for this weight loss, should prompt you to think about cancer. Other signs could be pain, chest wall pain. It's not a heart attack. I'm not really short of breath, but that could be a sign of a cancer and change in your voice too could be a sign. Let's just say it becomes more hoarse, that could be a sign that you have an underlying cancer.
Gabby Cinnamon: Going back to those risk factors, can you remind us again how someone can reduce their risk for lung cancer?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: So, many health organizations have stated that any amount of alcohol can increase your risk for cancer in general, and smoking. So, those two things, if we combat those two things, that will reduce the risk of developing lung cancer in general. And like I said, healthy diet and exercise. We talked earlier about immunotherapy, enhancing your body's immune system to fight the cancer. Well, what strengthens your immune system more than exercising and eating right and sleeping well, and it's all about mind, body, and spirit. Our bodies are not diesel engines. We're human beings and we need to take time to take care of ourselves.
Gabby Cinnamon: Yeah, for sure. Overall health and wellness.
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: Exactly.
Gabby Cinnamon: Is there anything else you would like to add before we go?
Dr. Joehar Hamdan: I hope I've been able to elaborate on everything that I could share with you here about what to look for, signs and symptoms of lung cancer, what ways to prevent it, early screening, and the plethora of options for treatment here in the future. I really thank you for having me.
Gabby Cinnamon: Thank you so much for coming on the podcast today, Dr. Hamdan. And thank you listeners for tuning in to Conversations on Cancer brought to you by the Riverside Cancer Institute. For more information, visit riversidehealthcare.org/cancer. Make sure to leave a review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to our podcasts.