Albany Standard

Pheobe issued the following announcement on Nov. 1.

In recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Phoebe Cancer Center will be offering 100 free low dose CT screenings in November to men and women who are uninsured and qualify for the LungWatch Screening Program.

The free low dose CT screenings will be provided to the first 100 eligible people who are referred and scheduled for screening through the LungWatch program.  To be considered for one of the free lung screenings, each applicant must meet the following criteria:

• not had a screening in the last 12 months
• age 55 - 77
• not experiencing any lung problems, (if you are experiencing lung problems, contact your doctor immediately)
• meet appropriate smoking history and/or other specific risk factors (consult your physician)
• uninsured
• not pregnant
• live in one of the following counties: Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Crisp, Dougherty, Early, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Randolph, Sumter, Terrell, Tift, Turner and Worth
• must be referred to the program by a physician

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer among all Americans. For 2021, The American Cancer Society estimates 235,760 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed, and that nearly 131,880 people will lose their battle with the disease. The Phoebe Cancer Center urges people to remember that lung health is a vital part of personal health.

“Lung health is important, and we don’t want people to wait until they are having trouble breathing to take action. If you have risk factors that may lead to lung cancer, we want you to start the screening process as soon as possible. That’s why it is important to provide these screenings to people in our community” said, Adam Jones, MD, of Radiation Oncology Associates and lead physician for the Phoebe LungWatch program.

Lung cancer can go undiagnosed for years without noticeable symptoms. Typically, people may not know they have lung cancer until symptoms appear, and then it is often too late. If detected early, lung cancer can be treated more successfully, potentially prolonging life. Phoebe’s LungWatch is a screening program that assesses risk factors to determine if an individual should be screened regularly for lung cancer.

With the knowledge gathered from screening risk factors, a spiral CT scan may be recommended. This scan can detect nodules on the lungs. If needed, cases are referred to a LungWatch navigator and also presented at the lung tumor conference where a comprehensive team of medical professionals will determine a plan of care. Support groups and social workers are also available.

Talk to your primary care physician about your eligibility for lung cancer screening.

Original source can be found here.