Lung Cancer Screening

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States. When caught early, the national five-year survival rate for lung cancer cases is 60%, but only 24% of cases are diagnosed at an early stage. Rivers Health is committed to providing you and your family with the care needed to live a long and healthy life. Preventive care and health screenings are a critical part of providing that care. 

Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines

A lung cancer screening uses a low-dose CT scan, a special kind of x-ray that takes multiple pictures as a person lies on a table and slides in and out of a machine. A computer combines the images into a detailed picture of the lungs. According to the CDC, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends yearly low-dose CT lung cancer screenings for people who meet certain criteria.

Are You Eligible?

• You must be between 50 and 77 years old
• You smoke now or have quit in the last 15 years
• You are asymptomatic for lung cancer. Symptoms include coughing that gets worse or doesn’t go away, chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing up blood, feeling very tired all the time, and/or have experienced weight loss with no known cause.
• You have smoked at least:
  • 1 pack per day for 20 years, or
  • 2 packs per day for 10 years

For more information about low-dose, CT lung cancer screenings at Rivers Health, please call 304.675.6257.