Every cancer begins with a single abnormal cell. Lung-cancer screening is an imaging test performed to find lung-cancer before it has spread and when it is most treatable. The procedure is quick and safe, 不用打针, 切口, or excessive radiation exposure.
Advances in CT (formerly known as “CAT Scan”) technology allow us to find nodules in the lungs when they are very small and have no related symptoms. 如发现结节, its size and shape may suggest immediate need for treatment – which may include removing the nodule surgically – or the size and shape may indicate that we monitor the nodule for suspicious changes by repeating this safe CT-scanning process over time.
Not every nodule found is cancer. The earlier that a lung nodule is found and medically characterized, the better the outcome for you.
What Happens During a Low-Dose CT 肺癌筛查?
在低剂量期间 CT扫描, you will lie face up on a table that will pass through the CT machine. 低级 x射线 are used to take detailed images of your lungs with no needles or invasive devices involved. The procedure is short and painless.
After the CT screening is done, one of Guthrie’s board-certified radiologists will interpret the results. A Guthrie lung nurse navigator will contact you to coordinate your follow-up care and/or annual screening based on the results.
Possible Signs and Symptoms of Lung-Cancer
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, speak with your provider about next steps:
A new cough that persists or worsens
Chest pain, especially if it worsens, with a deep breath or during laughing
嘶哑的声音
Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite
Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum/phlegm
呼吸急促（气促）
Repeat, or persistent, infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia
喘息
Some people with lung-cancer, especially early on, have no symptoms. That is why this type of CT screening is recommended, to spot the cancer earlier, before it spreads.
Smokers are at an increased risk of lung-cancer, especially heavier smokers, at older ages. Even if you have quit smoking, your risk of lung-cancer is greater than if you never smoked. Whether you are an active for former long-term smoker, this screening is for you.
Medicare recommends low-dose CT lung screening for people who:
Pack-year is calculated using the number of packs smoked per day multiplied by the number of years of smoking.
55-77岁
Do not have any signs or symptoms of lung-cancer
Have not had a previous lung-cancer
Currently smoke or quit smoking less than 15 years ago
Are, or were, a heavy smoker (20 pack-year history)
Call 570-887-2847 and choose option 3 to speak to a Guthrie provider and learn if you qualify for low-dose lung cancer screening.
Will Insurance Cover 肺癌筛查?
Most private insurance and Medicare plans cover lung-cancer screenings for people who meet certain requirements:
Have at least a 20 pack-year history
Are between the ages of 55-77 (up to age 80 with some commercial insurance plans)
Have a written order from a health care provider
Have discussed the related risks, 好处, and possible follow-ups during an appointment with a health care professional 之前 到低剂量CT. This visit is called a shared decision-making appointment.
医疗保险, patients must also go to a screening facility that participates in the lung-cancer screening registry for Medicare patients.
How to Schedule a 肺癌筛查 Appointment at Guthrie
Guthrie offers shared decision-making and screening appointments at many locations, including:
宾西法尼亚:
Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital
Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, Towanda Campus
Guthrie Troy Community Hospital
世界博彩公司十大排名Wellsboro
纽约:
世界博彩公司十大排名大公寓
格斯里康宁医院
Guthrie Cortland Medical Center
世界博彩公司十大排名伊萨卡
To speak to a Guthrie provider and/or see if you qualify for lung-cancer screening, call 570-887-2847 选择选项3. You may be scheduled at any of Guthrie’s Medicare-approved screening sites, 在宾夕法尼亚或纽约.
