Early detection is one of the best ways to improve lung cancer survival. It’s a message Northern Light Health is sharing in the fight against the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
Lung cancer screening is available throughout the state at all Northern Light Health Hospitals. The screening program helps detect lung cancer at early stages, when more treatment options are available.
“Most insurance covers annual screenings if patients meet the criteria,” explains Katie Sawyer, RN, patient navigator, Northern Light Lung Cancer Screening Program. “The process for screening is so easy; the low dose CT scan uses 75% less radiation than the typical CT scan, requires no prep and takes only about 10 minutes.”
For this year’s Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 20, the American Cancer Society is reminding people that “it’s not too late to quit using tobacco. No matter your age or how long you’ve been smoking, quitting improves some aspects of your health immediately and even more over the long term.”
The ACS continues to host this event every year because even though “cigarette smoking rates have been declining for decades, cigarette smoking remains the most preventable cause of serious illness and death.”
It’s never too late to quit, and there are benefits at all ages. ACS provides support to help people quit smoking for good. For more information, to connect with the free telephone quit line, or to access resources to help make a plan to quit, visit cancer.org.
Talk to your primary care provider about your risk. To learn more about screening at Northern Light locations around Maine call 207-973-5822 or visit, northernlighthealth.org/LungCancer.
