Get a Lung Scan – Talk to Your Doctor

If you’re a smoker, do your kids and your grandkids a favor, and talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of having a lung scan, especially if you have a 20+ pack year history. Do it today. Chances are good that a lung scan is covered by your insurance, and you’ll give the people who love you — and yourself — more peace-of-mind!

What Does the National Cancer Institute Say?

A lung scan is a low-dose CT scan that’s now recommended by Medicare as an early detection tool for lung cancer and other pulmonary problems. Not only is the test recommended by Medicare, but the National Cancer Institute (NCI) also recommends the test for people aged 55 to 74 with a history of smoking. The NCI-sponsored National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) found that this group are 20% less likely to die from lung cancer if they have a low-dose CT scan instead of just a traditional chest x-ray. The scan shows more detail, and makes spotting early signs of cancer easier.

Early detection, when combined with the right multi-specialty treatment, increases cancer survival rates significantly compared to waiting for symptoms to appear.