Early detection of lung cancer through screening has been shown to improve survival rates by 15 to 20 percent, according to the National Lung Screening Trial, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. That’s why high-risk patients, such as smokers and ex-smokers, should consider a low-dose CT scan, the most advanced diagnostic tool for improved lung cancer screening and early diagnosis, when the disease is most treatable.
Holy Cross Health offers a lung cancer screening program with a nurse navigator for at-risk patients who meet the recommended criteria for lung cancer screening. This simple yet effective screening provides a low-dose CT scan which takes less than one minute. The imaging scan can show tiny spots on the lungs, called nodules, years before they would ever be seen on a chest X-ray. These spots could be the signs of early lung cancer.
Who is Eligible?
In 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced coverage under the Medicare program for low-dose CT scans in high-risk patients. Eligibility criteria includes:
- Age 55 to 77 years
- Shows no signs or symptoms of lung disease
- Tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack-years
- Currently smokes or quit within the past 15 years
Holy Cross Hospital also participates in the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP), a research study looking at the role of low-dose CT in the detection of nodules that may be cancer.