Archbold Launches Lung Cancer Screening Program
Friday, November 1, 2013
Many people don’t know that lung cancer has now become the leading cause of cancer deaths among both men and women in the United States.
“The most significant risk factor for lung cancer is, of course, smoking,” said Archbold oncologist Amanda D. May, MD. “About 90 percent of all lung cancers are thought to result from smoking.”
And, it’s not just cigarette smoking. Researchers have found that daily cigar smoking also greatly increases lung cancer risk. In addition, nonsmokers who are frequently exposed to the smoke of others face an increased risk.
As with other types of cancer, early detection increases a patient’s chance of survival. Unfortunately, lung cancer is difficult to detect in its earliest stages and it often is not discovered until it has spread to other tissues or organs.
As a clinical outreach effort to uphold Archbold’s core value of Community Benefit, Archbold’s Singletary Oncology Center is announcing a new lung cancer screening program available free of charge to groups of people who are at high risk for lung cancer.
“Yearly lung screenings using low-dose CT scans have been shown to save lives by finding lung cancer early, when it’s easiest to treat,” said Archbold radiologist Cary Newman, MD.
“The screening program is available to people ages 55—74 who have smoked at least an average of one pack a day for 30 years,” said Bill Tustin, administrator of the Singletary Oncology Center. “This includes people who still smoke or who have quit in the past 15 years.”
Tustin added, “This is actually a very unique program because it’s ongoing—once they qualify, a patient will receive the free lung screening scan on a yearly basis, as long as they remain within the identified age group.”
Newman said the screening is painless and takes less than 10 minutes.
“A scan is taken of the patient’s chest using a CT scanner. The images taken of the lungs are read by one our radiologists to determine if there are changes that would require further evaluation,” said Newman.
Lung screenings are available by appointment only. In some cases, lung screenings may not be appropriate for certain patients. If you meet the criteria for this program and would like to see if you qualify for a free lung cancer screening at the Singletary Oncology Center, please call 229.584.5462.