The answer is “yes”, if you’ve smoked heavily or have smoked for many years. The simple fact is that smoking puts you at risk even if you no longer smoke or do not have any symptoms.
HOW CAN I BE PROACTIVE WITH MY HEALTH?
Intermountain Medical Imaging, in partnership with Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, now offers CT lung screening. This quick and painless screening exam can detect lung cancer at an early stage, before symptoms ever appear, when it can be removed completely and cured.
WHY SHOULD I PARTICIPATE IN THE LUNG SCREENING PROGRAM?
According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with lung cancer every year, and almost 160,000 will die from this disease. Lung cancer rises above all other forms of cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths for men and women. This is because the disease shows no symptoms until it has progressed to advanced stages when it is difficult to treat – but it doesn’t have to be this way.
…this quick and painless screening exam can detect lung cancer in its earliest stages, when it can be treated successfully.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I SHOULD TALK TO MY PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER ABOUT CT LUNG SCREENING?
- You are between 55 and 74 years old
- Are currently a smoker or have quit within the past 15 years
- Have smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day for 30+ years
OR
- You are between 50 and 74 years old
- Have smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day for 20+ years
- Have one additional lung cancer risk factor (not including secondhand smoke exposure)
HOW DO I GET SCHEDULED FOR A CT LUNG SCREENING EXAM?
- Discuss CT lung screening with your primary care provider to see if it is the right option for you.
- If yes, have your primary care provider send an order to either IMI or Saint Alphonsus for a CT Lung Screening exam. Once your order has been received, a member of the scheduling team will call you to set up your CT Lung Screening appointment at a location that works best for you.
- Currently, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), as well as most private insurers, does not cover expenses for CT Lung Screening. We are committed to improving the health of the community; therefore both IMI and Saint Alphonsus are offering this important screening at a cost of only $99.00.
- Your primary care provider will receive a copy of your results and will discuss these findings with you.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM MY RESULTS?
About 1 in 4 CT Lung Screening exams will find something in the lung that may require additional imaging or evaluation. Most of the time, these findings are lung nodules. Lung Nodules are very small collections of tissue in the lung. These nodules are very common, and the vast majority – more than 97% – are not cancer (benign). Most are normal lymph nodes or small areas of scarring from past infections.
If the nodule has suspicious features (for example, it is large, has an odd shape or grows over time), you will be referred to a specialist.
I STILL HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the CT Lung Screening Program Nurse Navigator at 208-367-4337.
