Winter 2022 9 A CT scan produces detailed, cross-sectional images of the lung that can find small abnormalities better than a chest x-ray. Should you be screened for lung cancer? Get a free exam The Riverside Healthcare lung screening program offers free screenings for individuals with an increased risk for lung cancer. Lung cancer screening is offered at Riverside’s Watseka, Coal City and Bourbonnais campuses. Schedule your free lung screening by calling 888-324-2141 or through your myRiverside account. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer, aside from skin cancer, in both men and women in the U.S. It’s also the No. 1 cause of cancer death in this country. Fortunately, there is a screening test that has the potential to find lung cancer early, when it’s usually easier to treat. And the test is painless and noninvasive. A low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan can help find abnormalities in the lungs that may be cancer. Studies have shown that using low-dose CT scans to screen people for lung cancer saves more lives than using chest x-rays. That’s because a CT scan produces detailed, cross-sectional images of the lung that can find small abnormalities better than a chest x-ray. Who should be screened? The American Cancer Society recommends yearly lung cancer screening tests for people 55 to 74 years old who are in fairly good health and who meet the following criteria: ● Are current smokers or smokers who have quit in the past 15 years. ● Have at least a 30-pack-year smoking history. This refers to the number of years you smoked and how much you smoked daily. So if you smoked a pack a day for 30 years, you have a 30-pack-year history. If you smoked two packs a day for 15 years, you also have a 30-pack-year history. ● Receive counseling to quit if they are current smokers. ● Have been told by their doctor about the potential benefits, limits and harms of screening. ● Have a facility where they can go that has experience in lung cancer screening and treatment. If all of the above apply to you, you may want to talk with your doctor about screening for lung cancer. Are there risks to screening? CT scans are so detailed that they can find a lot of abnormalities. These may need to be checked out further with additional testing. Low-dose CT scans also expose people to small amounts of radiation. It’s less than the dose of a regular CT scan, but higher than that of a chest x-ray. Your doctor can tell you whether the risks of annual CT screening outweigh the benefits for you.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzIxMDA=