Located in a state where the rate of lung cancer is the highest in the nation, Markey Cancer Center maintains a screening program for lung cancer that is open to persons who now or formerly smoked. The center has assembled a team of doctors with expertise in oncology, radiology, pulmonary medicine, and thoracic surgery. Smoking cessation specialists also work with patients.
The screening involves a low-power CT (computed tomography) scan, which generally takes a minute or so. Among the benefits of the screening is detecting cancerous tissue before symptoms develop. Early detection opens the door to more treatment measures than later diagnosis.
Persons ages 55 to 80 are eligible for screening if they smoke or have quit smoking in the past 15 years. Individuals must also have smoked a pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years and have no current lung cancer symptoms.