Baptist Health Floyd Encourages Screening during Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths worldwide, mainly because it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Indiana has some of the highest lung cancer rates in the country according to a recent study by the American Lung Association.
New Albany, IND. (November 15, 2019) – Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths worldwide, mainly because it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Indiana has some of the highest lung cancer rates in the country according to a recent study by the American Lung Association.
Common symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing up blood, a cough that will not go away, and chest pain.
November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and Baptist Health Floyd provides help for people at greatest risk for lung cancer.
The screening is painless and non-invasive. The process takes less than thirty minutes, and it is able to give a detailed look at the lungs to see if there are any signs of cancer. Medicare and most insurance will cover the cost of the low-dose CT lung screening for people who meet these Medicare criteria:
• You have to be between the ages of 55 to 77 years old
• If you smoked one pack a day for 30 years, or 2 packs a day for 15 years, or 3 packs a day for 10 years, or if you've actively smoked in the last 15 years
Ajay Kandra, MD, medical oncologist at the Baptist Health Cancer Center in New Albany explained, “It’s a tough conversation to have with yourself if you are a smoker. For many, it's always in the back of their minds that smoking causes lung cancer. At our Cancer Center, we have had several family members request their loved ones have a Lung CT screening as a gift to the family. Lung cancer affects families, not just individuals.”
“Screenings help detect lung cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages; and we’re equipped with advanced technology to take care of our patients from screening through survivorship,” he added.
If you meet the lung screening criteria, you can ask your doctor to refer you to Baptist Health Floyd to set up a Lung CT screening with the lung nurse navigator. For more information, call 812.981.6208.