In observance of November’s Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Greenwich Hospital is encouraging people to take advantage of its Early Detection Lung Screening Program.
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society, accounting for one in five of all cancer deaths. More than 238,000 new cases of lung cancer are projected this year, with nearly 130,000 deaths, making it the leading cause of cancer death in this country – more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined.
And while non-smokers can be diagnosed with lung cancer, screening is extremely important in high-risk patients with a smoking history – Greenwich hospital noted that screenings can save lives by identifying lung cancer when it is easier to treat, and the five-year cure rates for early lung cancer is 85%.
And for those afraid of intensive and onerous examinations, screenings can take no more than 15 seconds thanks to low-dose CT scans.
More information on the lung cancer screenings is available on the Greenwich Hospital website.
Photo: Greenwich Hospital’s Emily Kopas, APRN, and Justin Blasberg, MD, use low-dose CT scans to detect lung cancer.
