Lung Cancer Action Week: Dr. Gieske Reflects on Screening Advances and Milestones

With Lung Cancer Action Week underway, it’s a critical time to raise awareness about the importance of screening and early detection efforts, as these strategies can have a tremendous impact on patient outcomes.

Michael R. Gieske, MD, Director of Lung Cancer Screening at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, joined Lung Cancers Today to share his insights on lung cancer screening, as well as recent progress and milestones.

“With respect to Lung Cancer Action Week, it’s important to say a few things about lung cancer screening and the importance of adherence,” Dr. Gieske said. “We’re now finding over 70% of the lung cancers in stage I… When you bring individuals back year after year, you’re going to be much less likely to find a stage III or stage IV lung cancer.”

Early detection is critical, Dr. Gieske emphasized, as the “chance of curing that cancer is so much higher” if it is caught at stage I or stage II.

“Since we started our program, 64% of the lung cancers we have found have been in stage I, but each year, that gets better,” he said. “This year, so far, we’re finding over 70% in stage I.”

It’s important to recognize that lung cancer screening should be conducted annually for those who are eligible, as screening each year can ensure that cancer is detected early. For example, 80% of the program’s lung cancer screenings are conducted on people who return year after year, Dr. Gieske said.

The screening program recently detected its 500th case of stage I lung cancer, and on March 17, 2025, it reached another major milestone, with 50,000 screens completed since it began in 2013.

“We’re very happy with that and very proud of that,” Dr. Gieske said. “There’s not many, if any, programs in the country that have done 50,000 lung cancer screens, and it’s not just the numbers of screens that we do: it’s the results that we get.”

The results of lung cancer screening and early detection can be life-altering for patients, families, and communities.

“You can talk about numbers all day, but when you see a real-life result of a patient that has been essentially saved by the scan, they’re going to get to see their children get married, to see their grandchildren born,” he said.

Dr. Gieske has seen lung cancer screening and outcomes evolve significantly over the years, he said, explaining that detecting lung cancer at stage I used to be a rarity.

“That didn’t happen very often unless you perchance accidentally found a stage I lung cancer when you were looking for something else,” he said.

This makes it critical to recognize and honor the progress that has been made in lung cancer screening while working to ensure more people who are eligible receive screening.

“It’s important to continue to celebrate milestones that you achieve. It helps to motivate your staff, your associates, and the team, and it also motivates the public when they see those types of success stories and they learn about lung cancer screening and what a difference it can make. Lung Cancer Action Week is a perfect opportunity to raise that level of awareness to get that message out there.”

Dr. Gieske also reflected on a recent event that may not have been possible without advances in lung cancer screening and treatment.

“We had our first lung cancer survivor dinner and celebration. We had over 100 lung cancer survivors and their caregivers and family members,” he said.

In addition to the survivors, caregivers, and family members, multiple staff and healthcare professionals were in attendance, he said. The event involved a significant storytelling component, with multiple patients sharing their stories, experiences, and gratitude for the life-saving care they received.

“It was very moving,” Dr. Gieske said.

Through screening, advocacy, and an expanding treatment landscape, there are many opportunities for action and inspiration, he emphasized.

“They’re going to continue to make a tremendous difference with lung cancer survival and work to defeat that nihilism that’s associated with lung cancer and to bring hope to patients with lung cancer,” Dr. Gieske said.