Lung Cancer Screenings Save Lives
In the United States, lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer, but it often has the lowest screening rates compared to other types. In 2023, the American Lung Association found that only 4.5% of those at high risk for the disease in the United States were screened. Lung cancer screening, formally known as a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), is the best way to catch the disease at its earliest stages, when it is easiest to treat.
What does a LDCT entail? You will lie on your back very still as the table slides through the center of the machine that takes the images of your lungs. LDCT is not painful and only takes a few minutes.
Eligible candidates for lung cancer screening include current or former smokers, aged 50-80 years old with a 20 pack-year history of smoking. This means having smoked one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years. In 2023, the American Cancer Society expanded its eligibility requirements for screenings, meaning more people than ever before are able to receive lung cancer screenings.
What happens if you undergo a LDCT and find out you have a lung nodule? The team at Fairfield Healthcare Professionals Pulmonology & Critical Care will review your imaging and schedule an initial visit, then determine the necessary next steps that may include additional studies, surgical and non-surgical biopsies and referrals to thoracic surgeons.
Early detection saves lives. Oftentimes, lung cancer is diagnosed in the later stages, when it is more difficult to treat and has a lower five-year survival rate. Nationally, only 26.6% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage when the five-year survival rate is higher.
If you think you are eligible for a lung cancer screening, talk to your healthcare provider. A physician referral is required, and financial assistance is available for those who qualify. To refer a patient for a LDCT, contact FHP Pulmonology at 740-689-6833. For general lung cancer questions, please call Holly Griffith, oncology nurse navigator, at 740-689-6889.
Fairfield Healthcare Professionals Pulmonology & Critical Care
