{"id":51590,"date":"2020-02-04T11:48:26","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T16:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/?p=51590"},"modified":"2021-05-19T12:36:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-19T16:36:32","slug":"recognizing-early-signs-of-lung-cancer-jills-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/healthy-tomorrows\/recognizing-early-signs-of-lung-cancer-jills-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Recognizing early signs of lung cancer: Jill\u2019s story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jill Hamer-Wilson has dedicated her life to advocating for patient partnership in lung cancer research, with the hope of helping others identify the early signs of lung cancer.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September of 2013, Jill Hamer-Wilson caught something\nmany of us tend to catch this time of year – a cold. While the cold eventually\nwent away, a cough remained, and lingered for quite some time. Little did Jill\nknow that this was an early sign of lung cancer<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jill

Jill (left) participated in Ottawa Race Weekend in 2019, along with other lung cancer advocates Dr. Paul Wheatley-Price (centre) and former NFL linebacker Chris Draft (right). <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

She was diagnosed with lung cancer just a few months later,\nin December of that year. Jill had never smoked. She was very active. In fact,\nshe had just taken part in the Army Run that fall. To say this news came as a\nshock would be an understatement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While a lung cancer diagnosis can cause a range of reactions from anyone, for Jill, it fuelled a new purpose. Throughout her years of treatment plans, different forms of cancer therapy and medication changes, Jill became an advocate for lung cancer research and awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe area of lung cancer research is exploding,\u201d said Jill.\n\u201cWhile previously, there was not much research done on this form of cancer, the\nlist of studies and clinical trials continues to grow. As someone living with\nlung cancer, I\u2019m comforted and excited to know that this area of research is\ngrowing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes lung cancer research so important? Aside from the\nfact that research can help uncover new forms of treatment, more research can\nhelp people understand the early signs of lung cancer, which can give\nclinicians a better chance to treat it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are many things that more research helps us do, but helping people recognize the early signs of lung cancer could be among the most important. That is how we catch it early, treat it early and ultimately help people live longer.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnfortunately in 2020, half of all lung cancers are\ndiagnosed at an advanced stage, with no realistic chance of cure. Therefore early\ndetection is the key to effective treatment for any kind of cancer, but\nespecially cancer of the lungs,\u201d said Dr. Paul Wheatley-Price, medical\noncologist at The Ottawa Hospital and president of Lung Cancer Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe more awareness we can create about the early signs of\nlung cancer, the better chance we have of diagnosing and treating it early, which\nwill ultimately lead to better outcomes for patients,\u201d he continued. \u201cFurther,\nThe Ottawa Hospital is one of the leading centres in the province in\nimplementing a lung cancer screening program for early detection, which we hope\nto see available across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do we know now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Canadian\nCancer Society<\/a>, the most common symptoms of lung cancer are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n