Guests/Speakers
Jim Pantelas, Navy Veteran, 20 plus Year Lung Cancer Survivor, Voice of Hope Speaker
Dr. Drew Moghanaki, Professor and Chief of Thoracic Oncology, UCLA Department of Radiation Oncology, Staff Physician and Co Director, VA Greater Los Angeles Lung Precision Oncology Program
VA Lung Cancer Screening: 3 Minute Scan That Saves Lives
Lung cancer screening is one of the simplest tools available in cancer care, yet it remains widely underused. A low-dose CT scan takes just a few minutes and can detect lung cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages.
Jim Pantelas is a Navy Veteran and a 20-plus-year lung cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with stage 3B lung cancer at age 52, back when lung cancer screening was not available. Today, he is joining Dr. Drew Moghanaki, a thoracic oncology leader and VA physician, to deliver a clear message to Veterans and anyone with a smoking history.
Get screened. Every year.
Lung Cancer Can Grow Quietly Until It Is Too Late
Lung cancer often has no early warning signs. Dr. Moghanaki explains that many people only learn something is wrong when they arrive at the emergency room with severe symptoms like coughing up blood, extreme pain, or signs that the cancer has spread.
Jim remembers how long it took to get answers. For about nine months, he dealt with exhaustion, bone pain, and changes in his fingernails and toenails. He later learned those symptoms were connected to how the body reacts when the lungs are not delivering enough oxygen.
By the time he was diagnosed, it was not a simple fix.
When Cancer Is Found Late, Treatment Gets Harder
Jim went into surgery expecting a lobectomy. Instead, two lung lobes were removed, and doctors discovered the cancer had spread to lymph nodes. He needed additional chemotherapy and radiation, including treatment delivered in a clinical trial setting.
Dr. Moghanaki makes the contrast plain. If Jim’s cancer had been found earlier, treatment could have been far simpler, sometimes surgery or targeted radiation, and in some cases even a short course of precision radiation.
Why Veterans Face Higher Risk
Veterans can carry a lifetime of exposure risks. Jim points to asbestos, radon, and a long list of airborne hazards that many service members encountered during training, deployment, and daily operations. Dr. Moghanaki underscores the bigger pattern: lung cancer risk can build over years and decades, often connected to what people breathe in over time.
Jim also describes the culture of tobacco use that many Veterans experienced in service, including how smoking breaks were normalized and access to cigarettes was widespread. Even after quitting more than 25 years ago, he shares how smoking can remain part of a person’s identity.
The Screening Itself Is Simple
The screening test is a low-dose CT scan, and Jim breaks it down in plain terms. You lie down, the scanner moves you in and out, and you are done in under three minutes. No long prep. No special clothing changes for most people.
He sums it up with a comparison many Veterans will understand.
“We spend more time getting an oil change than getting a lung cancer screening.”
Screening Works, Especially When It Is Done Every Year
Jim and Dr. Moghanaki emphasize that the goal is not to get scanned once. It is to start at 50 if you qualify and return annually. Yearly screening makes it possible to monitor small nodules over time and act early if something changes.
They also address a major barrier. Some people avoid screening because they fear a diagnosis and assume there will be no options. Jim pushes back directly. Lung cancer is curable when caught early, manageable when caught at intermediate stages, and treatment options have changed dramatically over the last 15 years.
Cost Should Not Be the Reason
They also address a common worry: affordability. Jim states that screening is covered and emphasizes that cost should not stop someone from getting screened.
A Message for Veterans and Families
Dr. Moghanaki describes the VA’s culture as all hands on deck, built around a promise not to leave anyone behind. But the message extends beyond the VA. If you are outside the VA system, talk to your primary care physician and ask for a referral. If you love someone who qualifies, encourage them to go.
Jim’s closing is simple.
“Get screened today.”
