More people die from lung cancer each year than from breast, colorectal and prostate cancer combined -- making lung cancer one of the most deadly cancers.
There are new screening guidelines designed to detect lung cancers much earlier. As lung cancer awareness month begins, newly eligible Americans are being urged to get screened.
Lung cancer kills more than 130,000 people in the United States each year, with lower survival rates than most cancers. Researchers believe it’s partly because screening rates are low and it’s commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage.
National Jewish Health, the leading respiratory hospital in the nation, is helping patients navigate new lung cancer screening guidelines.
The United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines released this year lower the age to start screening from 55 to 50 and reduce the amount of smoking history that makes someone eligible. The goal is to catch lung cancer early and improve their chance of survival.
National Jewish Health has developed a multidisciplinary approach to screen patients for eligibility and guide them through the process from referral to CT scan and if necessary, cancer treatment.
The screening program at National Jewish Health found that at least 80% to 85% of their patients who go through lung cancer screening -- when cancer is found -- the cancer is in stage one. When it’s caught in stage one is it is more treatable.