Low-Dose Lung Cancer Screenings Help with Early Diagnosis of Deadly Disease

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.

Detecting lung cancer before symptoms are noticeable allows for early treatment when it’s most effective.

That’s why regular lung cancer screenings are so important and why healthcare organizations across the country are promoting National Lung Cancer Screening Day on Saturday, Nov. 9. Their goal? To increase awareness of the importance of screening – not just in November but year-round.

“We perform low-dose lung cancer screenings at Memorial Health locations throughout the year to help combat those statistics,” said Kristin Perucho, RN, medical imaging nurse navigator at Springfield Memorial Hospital. “It is essentially a low-dose CT of the chest for people who have a significant smoking history and are therefore at a higher risk for lung cancer.”

Eligibility for lung screenings includes:

• Ages 50 to 77 years (some non-Medicare insurances cover up to 80 years old)
• Significant cigarette smoking history of at least one pack daily for 20 years or more
• Current cigarette smoker or someone who quit smoking within the past 15 years
• Patients should discuss with their provider whether a lung screening is appropriate for them. Most insurance companies will cover these lung screenings, like coverage of other cancer screenings such as mammograms or colonoscopies.

“It is important for people who meet these eligibility requirements to have a screening done before they show symptoms,” Perucho said. “The earlier we can screen and determine if they have lung cancer, the quicker we can move on to treatment and recovery.”

For more information on how to schedule a lung screening, visit memorial.health.