When to get screened for lung cancer

Who should be screened?

Not everyone should be screened for lung cancer. Yearly lung cancer screenings* are recommended for people who:

• Have a 20 pack/year or more smoking history, and
• Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years, and
• Are between 50 and 80 years old

About lung cancer screening

What to expect

Lung cancer screening is quick, simple, and painless. The screening should be done at a facility with an experienced staff and an LDCT scanner. People at higher risk of lung cancer should not put off screening simply because they show no signs of lung cancer, which usually causes no symptoms in its early, treatable stages. Those who delay action until they feel the effects of lung cancer are often too late to benefit from effective treatment.

Technology for a deeper look

For patients whose screenings need a deeper look, PeaceHealth is using new technology called Intuitive Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy. It uses robotic assistance. This gives lung specialists the ability to plan and navigate a precise path into the lung.

Shape-sensing technology with 3D imaging makes it easier for doctors to closely examine any nodule (an abnormal growth on the lung). With it, they can confirm tool-in-lesion accuracy, deep within the lung.

“More than 70 percent of all lung cancer nodules are located in the outer one-third of the lung. That area is full of tight spaces and narrow airways. It can be hard to reach,” says Omar Jaffer, MD, a pulmonary specialist at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, Washington. “With the Ion, we can get to almost any location in the lung safely.”

Talk to your primary care provider about getting screened. The American Lung Association also offers a quiz to help determine if you should get screened.

*source: U.S. Preventative Services Task Force