Lung Cancer Screening

LUNG CANCER SCREENING

Lung Cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, killing more people than colorectal, breast and prostate cancer combined. It will account for 150,000 deaths this year alone in the U.S. The number of people who will survive 5 years after the disease is diagnosed, is less than 15%. The survival percentage traditionally has been low because 8 out of 10 lung cancers have already spread before they can be diagnosed. This number has remained virtually unchanged for the last 25 years and there is still no effective treatment available when lung cancer is diagnosed at this late stage.

Chest X-rays have been used for decades to screen for lung cancer. Unfortunately, when chest X-rays detect most lung cancers they are already too large to be effectively treated. More recently, many physicians have advocated the use of high-resolution screening chest CT scans as a far better test for the early detection of lung cancer. CT scans have the capability of detecting lung cancers when they are as as small as a grain of rice. Furthermore, new advances in technology enable radiologists to perform a complete scan during a signal breath hold. Low dose techniques minimize radiation exposure. CT screening in smokers and former smokers can detect very early lung cancers as well as aiding in the diagnosis of emphysema and other crippling lung diseases.

A screening chest CT scan could be an important life saving step for you under the following circumstances:

If you are a smoker or a past smoker
If you have been or are exposed to secondary smoke
If you are a patient with a family history of lung or other known cancers

For additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us or discuss this test with your physician.