Lung Cancer Screenings Save Lives

10/19/2023

When it comes to lung cancer, early detection is the key. In the United States, lung cancer causes more deaths than any other type of cancer. A preventative low-dose computed-tomography (CT) lung cancer scan can help detect lung cancer in its earliest stage, while there are more treatment options available.

The goal of a lung cancer screening is to detect cancer while it is in its earliest stage of progression, before it has spread to other areas of the body. Medicare and most insurance companies will cover a lung cancer screening if certain criteria is met. If you smoke or used to smoke in the past, talk to your doctor about how a CT lung cancer screening can benefit you.

A CT lung cancer screening is recommended for those who meet the following criteria:

• Age 50-80
• Must be asymptomatic (no signs or symptoms of lung cancer)
• A smoking history of 20 pack-years
• Either a current smoker or have quit smoking within the last 15 years
• Have an order from your physician or qualified non-physician practitioner

Before scheduling your first CT lung cancer screening, you will need to consult with your doctor to see if a lung cancer screening is right for you. If an initial CT lung cancer screening is recommended, then you should continue with annual screening exams until the age of 77, or until at least 15 years have passed since you have stopped smoking.

At Physicians Regional Healthcare System, our lung cancer screenings use a CT scan that emits a lower dose of radiation than a conventional CT scan. For those that are at risk and get screened, the chance of finding cancer in its earliest stage is greater. Finding cancer early on generally allows for more treatment options and a better prognosis.

A CT lung cancer screening helps identify lung nodules, some of which may be cancerous. The vast majority (more than 96 percent) of nodules detected on a screening are not cancerous.

To see if a nodule is cancerous, the recommendation is generally to take additional follow-up scans to monitor and look for changes in these nodules. Your doctor will make recommendations for the proper follow-up intervals in order to monitor any lung nodules detected. Most often, but not always, these intervals are usually 6 to 12 months apart.

CT lung cancer screenings are not an alternative to smoking cessation. Active smokers should enter a smoking cessation program and stop the usage of all tobacco products, as this lowers their risk of lung cancer in general. For those that do quit smoking, it usually takes approximately 15 years to reduce their risk of lung cancer.

Smoking cessation reduces your risk of:

• High blood pressure
• Lung infections
• Heart attack
• Coughing, sinus infection, fatigue and shortness of breath
• High carbon monoxide levels in the blood
• Cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, bladder, esophagus, kidney, pancreas and colon

Screenings are available at Physicians Regional – Collier Boulevard and Physicians Regional – Pine Ridge. Both are designated as Lung Cancer Screening Centers by the American College of Radiology. For more information, please call our lung navigator at 239-348-4401 or email lungscreening@physiciansregional.com.

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