You’ve decided it’s time to say #imaquitter. Now what? Maybe this isn’t your first time. Maybe you’ve tried this before and it didn’t go according to plan. No matter where you are in your journey, this mini-guide will help you take one step closer to your tobacco-free life.
Meet Kimberly
Kimberly has a long history of smoking,
You quit smoking. You can finally say #imaquitter! Now what? The good news is – and you’re probably starting to notice – your health begins to improve immediately. Throughout the first 15 years you stop smoking, there are so many reasons for #celebratingquitters. Monitoring your personal progress and keeping track of your gains with health scans is the best way to celebrate.
Does your health insurance provider offer benefits that you don’t know about? When it comes to staying healthy, more and more insurance companies are recognizing the value of preventative screening.
According to Eric Hargis, public policy adviser for the Colon Cancer Alliance, “Too many Americans are dying from a largely preventable disease that can almost always be treated if found early….this will save lives.”
With the ability to be more proactive,
Do you need a lung scan? You might, but take a moment to ask yourself a few questions first. What is a lung scan? A lung scan utilizes a computed tomography (CT) scan, which uses x-rays to produce detailed images of the lungs. Because it shows images of the lungs in a detailed cross-section, it is much more accurate at detecting cancer early than an x-ray.
First thing’s first: what are your “pack years?” Pack years are a way of calculating lung cancer risk based on how many years a person has smoked. Here’s how the equation works:
N – number of packs a day (equivalent: 20 cigarettes) x T (total years smoked) = pack years
For example:
Edith smoked 1 pack of cigarettes daily for 20 years.
Exciting news: you no longer need a doctor’s prescription for a Lung Scan. This scan can be an easy, painless, and noninvasive way to potentially save your life if you are at a high risk for lung cancer. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, “People aged 55 to 74 years with a history of heavy smoking are 20 percent less likely to die from lung cancer if they are screened with a low dose lung scan.”
Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict that by the end of this year more than 200,000 people will be told they have lung cancer, and about 150,000 will die from lung cancer. Approximately 85% of lung cancer cases in the United States are the result of smoking,
If your loved one is a smoker or has a history of smoking, a lung scan could save their life.
As a relative or close friend, we have the unique ability to influence the critical decision-making of our loved ones. Here are three ways you can encourage them to get a lung scan.
The amount you smoke over time has a cumulative effect on your risk for cancer. It puts you at a higher risk for certain types of cancer, including common lung cancers. One way to determine your risk is by calculating your pack-years.
Simply put, a pack-year is a measurement of the number of cigarettes you consume over a period of time.
A lung scan can save the life of a smoker by detecting issues earlier than other screening methods. If you or someone you know has smoked for a long time, encourage them to talk with their doctor about a Lung Scan, also called a Low Dose CT lung scan. This quick, painless scan can detect cancer much sooner than traditional x-rays.
