Patients - Your Exam
Lung Cancer Screening
Information from the American Lung Cancer Association indicates that lung cancer is now
considered common. One reason why lung cancer is so deadly is that it is hard to find in its
early stages. It may take years for the lung cancer to grow and there usually are no symptoms
early on. By the time you start to notice symptoms, the cancer often has spread to other parts
of the body.
Current statistics regarding lung caner are alarming:
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Lung cancer causes the most cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for 2.1 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths annually.1
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Approximately 541,000 Americans living today have ever been diagnosed with lung cancer.2
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Lung cancer is deadly.
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Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the U.S.
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More than half of people with lung cancer die within one year of being diagnosed.2
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In 1987, it surpassed breast cancer to become the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.3
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An estimated 154,040 Americans are expected to die from lung cancer in 2018, accounting for approximately 25 percent of all cancer deaths.
Who should have lung screening?
Lung screening is recommended for individuals between ages 50 and 77 who have any of the following risk factors:
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Tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack-years (one pack-year = smoking one pack per day for one year; 1 pack = 20 cigarettes)
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Current smoker or one who has quit smoking within the last 15 years
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Long-term repeated exposure to secondhand smoke
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Exposure to other cancer-causing agents (eg, asbestos & radon)
Ask your doctor if low-dose CT Lung Screening is right for you!
