Dallas resident John Janowski was on vacation when he noticed two lumps on the side of his neck. He came home early to have it checked it out.
At Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, John underwent a biopsy and was diagnosed with cancer in the lymph nodes and on the back of his tongue. Later, John was also diagnosed with lung cancer. After a radical neck dissection, which removed most of the cancer, John went through 37 radiation treatments followed by three months of chemotherapy.
"I knew I was in good hands at Baylor Plano," he says. "The staff has this huge professionalism, this great passion for what they are doing. You can feel that in every aspect within the Baylor system." John has been cancer free for over four years. "Baylor Plano helped me fight & WIN against stage IV throat and lung cancer," says John.
November marks National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, designed to increase awareness of lung cancer issues. According to the Lung Cancer Alliance, lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, prostate, colon and pancreas cancers combined. While smoking can lead to lung cancer, more than 60% of people diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked or quit smoking decades prior to their diagnosis.
To help raise awareness of lung cancer in the community Baylor Plano will host a free seminar on lung disease. Breathe Easier – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Seminar: Wednesday, November 23 from 12 to 1 p.m. in Education Center 1 on the Garden Level of Baylor Plano. Gary Erwin, M.D., pulmonologist on the Baylor Plano medical staff will serve as presenter. Lunch will be provided. To register call 1.800.4BAYLOR or visit BaylorHealth.com/PlanoEvents.
Lung Cancer Facts
According to the Lung Cancer Alliance:
- Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in every ethnic group.
- Lung cancer is the second leading cause of all deaths in the United States.
- There were an estimated 157,300 lung cancer related deaths in 2010.
- Lung cancer kills nearly 200 women each day.
- The survival rate for those with lung cancer between 1999 and 2006 was 15.8%.
- The low survival rate for lung cancer is due to few cases being diagnosed at early stages when cancer is most curable. 56% of lung cancers are diagnosed when the cancer has already mestastasized to other sites.
Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano is a 128-bed acute care hospital committed to serving North Texas residents with personalized care and advanced technology on a beautiful campus with hotel-like amenities and all private rooms. Services at the not-for-profit, fully-accredited facility include treatment for advanced spine deformities at the Baylor Scoliosis Center, neurosciences, orthopedics, medical and radiation oncology, surgical weight loss, women’s services, gynecology, urology, gastroenterology, pulmonary medicine, pain management, diabetes management and more. Patients have access to digital imaging onsite at Baylor Plano, the Baylor Diagnostic Imaging Center at Craig Ranch, an outpatient department of Baylor Plano and the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano Elizabeth Jekot, MD Breast Imaging Center. The hospital is the first in North Dallas and Collin County to offer minimally invasive robotic surgery for procedures through the FDA-approved da Vinci® S Surgical System. Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano ranks fourth on U.S. News & World Report's first-ever Best Hospitals metro area ranking for the Dallas/Fort Worth area and was named a top performer by The joint Commission. Baylor Plano is also a 2010 recipient of the Texas Award for Performance Excellence and houses an Accredited Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons Commissions on Cancer. Baylor Plano is the first hospital in Collin County to be accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. Jerri Garison is president of Baylor Plano. For more information, or a physician referral, call toll free 1-800-4-BAYLOR or log onto www.BaylorHealth.com/Plano.
About Baylor Health Care System
Baylor Health Care System is a faith-based supporting organization providing services to a network of acute care hospitals and related health care entities that provide patient care, medical education, research and community service. Baylor recorded more than 2.6 million patient encounters, $3.8 billion in total operating revenue, $4.4 billion in total assets and $513.5 million in community benefit in fiscal year 2010. Baylor’s network of more than 260 access points includes 26 owned/operated/ ventured/affiliated hospitals, 23 joint ventured ambulatory surgical centers, 50 satellite outpatient locations, four senior centers and 156 HealthTexas physician clinics.
Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System¹s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano or Baylor Health Care System.
CONTACTS: Kayci Prince
469.814.2109
KayciPri@baylorhealth.edu
Janeen Browning
469.814.2107
janeenbr@baylorhealth.edu
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About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White is empowering customers to live well by reimagining traditional healthcare — creating more convenient, personalized and informed experiences. It serves more than three million customers through 53 hospitals, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple; the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute; 1,300+ access points; 59,000+ team members; and its leading digital platform — MyBSWHealth. The system's award-winning employer solutions include Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and Levanto — a company offering digitally enabled health products. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White's mission is to promote the health and well-being of all individuals, families and communities. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com
