During Lung Cancer Awareness Month, talk to your doctor about whether you have risk factors that qualify you for screening.
Regional One Health offers easy, effective screening for lung cancer, as well as expert oncology care for patients who are diagnosed with the disease.
Learning about your risk and taking advantage of screening can help you catch lung cancer early, when it is easier to treat.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and for people with certain risk factors, it’s a good time to consider screening for this serious disease.
At Regional One Health, our specialized physicians help patients achieve better outcomes by catching problems early through screening and offering treatment from doctors who specialize in lung cancer care. Here’s what they want patients to know about when to screen and how it can lead to better treatment.
How does lung cancer screening work?
Patients should talk to their primary care provider or pulmonologist to determine if they meet the criteria for screening based on several risk factors. The following patients may qualify:
- If you are between age 50 and 80 and have smoked one or more packs of cigarettes a day for 20 year, or if you are a former smoker in this category but quit in the last 15 years
- A family history of lung cancer
- Exposure to environmental hazards like asbestos and radon
Medical oncologist Dr. Bilawal Ahmed is a specialist in treatment lung cancer. He said detecting the disease early through screening can lead to easier, more effective treatment.
Regional One Health offers lung cancer screening via a Low-Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) scan, which is available at our East Campus Imaging Center and Main Campus Imaging Center.
Screening is easy and usually only takes a few minutes. Patients lie on a table that slides in and out of a CT machine, and the CT takes detailed images of the lungs.
There is no special preparation needed, and you can resume normal activities immediately after your test.
Radiologists review these for unusual spots or nodules and any other changes, and then consult with you about any additional testing or treatment you need.
Screening means better treatment and outcomes
Regional One Health Cancer Care medical oncologist Bilawal Ahmed, MD typically sees patients shortly after they have received a lung cancer diagnosis. He said screening is an excellent tool in helping his team develop the optimal treatment plan.
“Screening gives us a lot of information about your cancer,” Dr. Ahmed said. “An LDCT scan can provide details on the size and location of the tumor and the potential for the cancer to spread. We use this information to plan the most effective treatment for your specific needs.”
Screening can also lead to better outcomes and experiences by detecting cancer early.
Dr. Ahmed said between 60-80% of patients live for at least five years after treatment when lung cancer is caught at stage 1 or 2.
Screening for lung cancer is easy and effective. It is available for patients with certain risk factors, such as a history of smoking or current smoking, a family history, or exposure to certain environmental hazards.
Catching lung cancer early – in some cases even before patients have symptoms – can also mean they’ll need less aggressive treatment, Dr. Ahmed noted.
For stage 1 or 2 lung cancer, patients often have surgery to remove the tumor along with follow-up chemotherapy or radiation to make sure all the cancer is gone.
When lung cancer is stage 3 or 4 and has already spread, treatment is more complex. We often use a combination of chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted therapies to try to slow the growth of cancer.
Learn more!
If you are at high risk for lung cancer, talk to your provider about screening.