Magnolia Minute – Lung Cancer Screening
October 13, 2020 10:43 am
By: Dr. Jason Murphree, Radiologist at Magnolia Imaging Associates
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States, and unfortunately, given delayed onset of symptoms 80% of patients are diagnosed after the cancer has already spread. Lung cancer CT screening offers a chance to diagnose this deadly disease earlier when it is potentially curable. Patients undergoing yearly lung cancer CT screening have a 20% decreased risk of dying from lung cancer than those not being screened.
Magnolia Regional Health Center radiology department began its lung cancer CT screening program in 2019, and I wanted to share our results with the community. We have performed screening exams on 338 patients and diagnosed 11 cancers. These are 11 people in our community we were able to diagnose before becoming symptomatic, so they could potentially receive earlier treatment and have better outcomes. As mammograms save patient lives through early breast cancer diagnosis, our hope is that lung cancer screening will do the same.
Lung cancer CT screening is now approved by Medicare and most insurance carriers. The exam may be ordered by your doctor after an office visit to ensure eligibility. Patients with no symptoms between 55-80 years of age who have smoked at least one pack per day for thirty years are eligible for screening. This low-dose CT scan is performed once per year unless an abnormality is detected.
If you or a loved one meet criteria for lung cancer screening, please schedule an appointment with your primary doctor or call 293-1152 for more information.
Dr. Jason Murphree
This post was written by Magnolia Regional Health Center
