Early Detection of Lung Cancer in Paducah, KY

Baptist Health Paducah: Early Detection of Lung Cancer

Early detection of lung cancer offers the best options for lung cancer treatment. Learn more about lung cancer screening at Baptist Health Paducah can help.

Early Detection of Lung Cancer in Paducah, KY, HealthTalks Transcript

Keith Kelly, MD, Pulmonary Critical Care:
It’s important to identify lung cancer at an early stage, because that gives us more options for treatment, particularly if we’re trying to cure the disease. If we diagnose lung cancer at a late stage, we have more limited options and we are limited to palliative-type treatments, rather than trying to eliminate the tumor in the first place.

Lauren Sonnek, RT:
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in Kentucky in men and women. We’re trying to change the curve, and lung cancer screenings help us to detect lung cancer in the early stages. The lung cancer screening is a low radiation dose CAT scan of your chest. It takes about two to three minutes, and there are no IVs or contrast involved. To qualify for this lung cancer screening, you have to meet certain criteria. The age criteria is 50 to 80. You have to have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history, which means one pack per day for 20 years or half a pack a day for 40 years, or if you’ve had a smoking history within the last 15 years.

Dr. Kelly:
Here at Baptist Health Paducah, we are a comprehensive cancer center. We have specialists available in all areas needed for the evaluation and treatment of lung nodules and lung cancers that are identified. Other communities this size would not offer that and we are able to do it right here at home.

Next Steps and Useful Resources

Find a Provider
Take Our Free Lung Cancer Risk Assessment
Know When to Get a Lung Screening
How Lung Cancer Feels – Unexpected Signs, Symptoms