Diagnosing lung cancer early can save lives
Scans are available for current and ex-smokers.
Just because someone stopped smoking, maybe even years ago, that doesn’t mean they are no longer at risk to develop lung cancer.
Atrium Health Floyd can now help you put your mind at ease or catch the cancer at an early stage so the chances increase of it being treated effectively.
Lung cancer is the number one killer of men and women in the United States, but the good news is the survival rate is 90 percent when it is caught in the stage 1 phase. Often signs or symptoms don’t develop until lung cancer reaches an advanced stage when it spreads to other parts of the body — and is very difficult to cure.
The risk getting lung cancer depends on age and smoking history. You may be eligible for lung screening if you:
Are 50 to 80 years old
Smoked cigarettes in the last 15 years Have a 20-pack year smoking history, for example: 1 pack of cigarettes per day for 20 years or more, 2 packs of cigarettes per day for 10 years or more, 1/2 pack per day for 40 years or more.
A pack-year is smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. For example, a person could have a 20 packyear history by smoking one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years.
Patients who are eligible and decide to be screened for lung cancer should be screened annually until they are no longer considered to be at high risk of developing lung cancer. A study on early detection of lung cancer found that the screening test can reduce mortality for those at high risk.
Patients can take an eligibility quiz to find out if lung cancer screening is right for them. Visit bit.ly/3ThxY1C online to take the quiz. The screenings are available at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center and Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center.
“Even if you were a heavy smoker and stopped years ago, you are still at elevated risk for developing cancer,” said Aimee Griffin, vice president of Professional Services at Atrium Health Floyd. “And if you do develop cancer, the chances of it being treated effectively increase the earlier it is discovered.”
Lung cancer screening is quick and painless. Clinicians use a low-dose CT scan to take a detailed 3D picture of your lungs, using a small amount of radiation (up to 90% less than a conventional CT scan).
“The amount of radiation you receive during a low-dose CT scan is very small, about half the amount you’re exposed to each year doing everyday activities,” Griffin said.
Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center also has a robot-assisted biopsy tool that
can help doctors diagnose lung cancer earlier. Many lesions found in the lung may be small and difficult to access, which can make obtaining a diagnosis challenging.
The Intuitive Ion system features an ultra-thin robotic catheter that can move 180 degrees in all directions. Physicians can navigate the tiny catheter through small airways to reach almost anywhere in the lung. The flexible biopsy needle can also pass through very tight bends to collect tissue samples.
Learn more and find out how to schedule an appointment by calling 706-509-6851.