Faith Regional Health Services | living WELL

LUNG CANCER

causes more deaths than colon, breast, pancreatic and

prostate cancers combined. In its early stages, the disease often produces no

signs or symptoms. By the time symptoms do show, the cancer has often

spread outside the lungs, making it difficult to treat.

This is why the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends annual

lung cancer screening for adults who are at high risk for the disease due to age

and smoking history, even if they are not showing any signs or symptoms.

How a lung screening works

A low-dose CT (computed tomography) scan

takes a detailed picture of your lungs. The scan

takes less than 30 seconds and can detect ex-

tremely small lung nodules. There is no way to

determine if the small lung nodules are scars

or lung cancer without further testing.

CT scans are often done repeatedly over time

to determine if the lung nodule grows. You

may need a biopsy if the lung nodule is large

enough.

Simple biopsy process

Physicians at Faith Regional use electromag-

netic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) as a min-

imally invasive option to locate, do a biopsy

and plan treatment for a lesion (spot) detected

deep in the lung. Typically performed as an

outpatient procedure, this technology enables

your physician to take tissue samples from very small masses using the pa-

tient’s natural airways to access lesions that were previously hard to reach. If

cancer is detected, the surgeon can remove the cancer that day.

Faith Regional also uses endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) to obtain tis-

sue or fluid samples from the lungs and surrounding lymph nodes without

performing conventional surgery. The results can be used to stage the lung

cancer by determining if the cancer has started to spread.

Should you be

screened?

Lungcancer

Spot cancer early with annual screenings

Are you between the ages

of 55 and 78 years old?

Are you a current smoker

or have you quit within the

last 15 years?

YES

Talk to your doctor to discuss

if a lung cancer screening is

right for you, or call Faith

Regional’s Lung Cancer

Screening Clinic at

402-844-8189

to set up

a consultation.

How many years did you or

have you smoked?

How many packs a day did you

or do you smoke?

Multiply these two numbers

(For example: 15 years x 2 packs

a day = 30)

Total:

Is the answer 30 or greater?

Screenings save

lives! Call the clinic at

402-844-8189

or visit

frhs.org

and click on

“Our Services” to learn

more.