CT Lung Cancer Screening

Should you be screened for lung cancer?

If you are a long-term smoker, lung cancer screening could save your life. The CT lung cancer screening at Ochsner Rush Medical Center is noninvasive and uses low-dose X-rays to screen the lungs for cancer. Screening with CT is the first modality to decrease mortality and does so by 20%.

Who should be screened for lung cancer?

Patients must:

• Be 55-78 years old
• Be currently smoking or have quit in the last 15 years
• Have at least a 30 pack-year smoking history (2 packs per day x 15 years = 30 pack-year history)

Involves yearly screening until the patient no longer fits the age criteria or has quit smoking for 15 years.

Facts about lung cancer:

• Nearly 155,000 U.S. lives are lost annually.
• Accounts for 25% of all cancer deaths.
• Kills 422 people every day.
• Is the leading cancer killer among women in the United States, surpassing breast cancer in 1987.

Source: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/common.html

The CT lung screening requires a physician referral. To find a primary care provider at a clinic near you click here. For more information, call the Ochsner Rush Imaging Center at 601.703.9544.