Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the United States. Even if you quit years ago, you could still be vulnerable. If you are, or used to be, a smoker (or know someone who is) and worry about your risk for lung cancer, Cooper offers a High Risk Lung Cancer Screening Program that can detect lung cancers in the early stages — when they are most treatable. It is part of our comprehensive and multidisciplinary program to detect and treat lung cancer.
Until recently, there has been no reliable way to detect lung cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. However, findings revealed by the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) of more than 53,000 current and former smokers across the nation show that lung cancer deaths dropped by 20 percent when high risk individuals underwent a low-dose, spiral CT scan.
You may be eligible for Cooper’s High Risk Lung Cancer Screening Program if you:
• Are between the ages of 55 and 74.
• Are a current or former smoker.*
• Have accumulated a “30-pack year” history of smoking.
A “pack year” is the number of packs smoked per day multiplied by the number of years smoked. For example: One pack of cigarettes per day for 30 years = 30-pack years; two packs per day for 15 years = 30-pack years; etc.
• Do not have a history of any cancer in the past five years.
*Former smokers must have quit within the past 15 years.
In addition to the CT screening exam, Cooper’s program offers preventative options to help people reduce their risk for lung cancer, and based on the findings of the screening, our lung cancer experts guide patients through a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, long-term follow up and, if needed, treatment. Because lung cancer CT screening currently is not covered by insurance, the out-of-pocket expense for the screening at Cooper is $300, payable at the time of the study.
For more information about the High Risk Lung Cancer Screening Program click here, or call 856.342.2141 to schedule your screening appointment.
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