WILMINGTON, DE — Saturday, November 11, is National Lung Cancer Screening Day, and to help raise awareness of this important screening, ChristianaCare recommends that people with a history of smoking should receive a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan that can detect cancer at an early stage.
Who should get screened in Delaware?
Lung cancer is the cause of 33% of Delaware’s cancer deaths, and early-stage lung cancer often has no symptoms. This means people often find out they have it when it’s harder to treat and more deadly. Screening saves lives—a low-dose CT screening can detect lung cancer in its early stages, when it is much more treatable.
“People who currently smoke or formerly smoked are at higher risk for lung cancer,” said Nicholas Petrelli, M.D., the Bank of America Endowed Medical Director of ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. “The American Cancer Society recommends yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan for some of these individuals. If anyone is or has been a smoker and meets the eligibility requirements, I urge them to make an appointment to get screened.”
The following are eligibility requirements for lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan:
- Be ages 50 to 80 years AND
- Be asymptomatic (no symptoms of lung cancer) AND
- Have a history of heavy smoking AND
- Are a current smoker or quit smoking within the last 15 years AND
- Haven’t received a CT scan of the lungs in the past 12 months.
Heavy smoking is defined as a smoking history of 20 “pack years” or more. A “pack year” is smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. For example, a person could have a 20 pack-year history by smoking one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years.
Screenings often available with zero out-of-pocket costs
Delaware residents do not need a referral from a provider to schedule a low-dose CT scan. For more information, or to schedule a CT scan, call 302-623-0552.
Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurance companies cover the full cost of these scans as part of preventive care benefits for qualified individuals. Individuals should contact their insurance provider about their plan’s coverage details.
CT scans are quick, quiet, painless and noninvasive. The scan passes twice over the chest and back, which takes less than 15 minutes. Patients usually will receive the results in one to two weeks from their referring doctor.
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