Low-cost Lung Cancer Screening Offered at Zelda Stein Weiss Cancer Center

            A new low-cost screening program for those at risk for lung cancer is now being offered by the Zelda Stein Weiss Cancer Center of Mon General Hospital.

            With lung cancer continuing to be the number one cause of cancer related deaths in the United States, Mon General’s Lung Cancer Screening Program is a new approach to diagnose and treat the disease in its early stages. The screening program uses a low-dose CT scan of the patient’s lungs to screen for cancer. With early detection, 85 percent of lung cancers can be found in their earliest, most curable stages.

            For those who meet eligibility requirements for the screening, the initial cost of the program is $95. This includes a low-dose CT scan, a one-on-one follow-up with the program’s Nurse Navigator and a smoking cessation program.

            “Lung cancer is very prevalent in West Virginia,” said John Azar, MD, Medical Director of the Zelda Stein Weiss Cancer Center of Mon General. In fact, West Virginia is ranked third in the country for lung cancer. “In many cases, the lung cancer may be too advanced for a positive prognosis.

            “We’ve been trying to screen for lung cancer for a long time now - many decades,” Dr. Azar said. “For breast cancer we have mammograms, for colon cancer we do colonoscopies, and we can detect those cancers early. But this has not been the case for lung cancer until recently.”

            A nationwide trial, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, established that there is a role for lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scanning. Studies have shown that there are 20 percent fewer lung cancer related deaths among patients that were screened with low-dose CT scans.

            Those who currently smoke or who were a smoker within the past 15 years are at risk for developing lung cancer. Early detection can be the difference between having lung cancer and surviving it.

            “I believe it will only be a short time before low-dose CT scans for lung cancer are adopted nationwide,” he said. “I’m proud that at Mon General we have taken a proactive role and we’ve started offering the screening early on.”

            To be eligible for a low-dose CT lung cancer screening at Mon General, participants must meet certain eligibility criteria. Patients can qualify for the program through either one of two sets of criteria, based on guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Typically smokers, or past smokers who stopped smoking 15 years ago or less, will qualify for the test.

            The first criteria require participants to be age 55-74 years of age and have a 30 pack/year history or greater of smoking. A pack/year is the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day times the number of years the person has smoked. If an ex-smoker, the person must have quit within the last 15 years.

            The second criteria are for those age 50-74, with a 20 pack/year history or greater. Ex-smokers must have quit within the last 15 years. These people should also have one additional risk factor, including COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or Pulmonary Fibrosis; radon exposure; occupational exposure, such as asbestos, silica, cadmium, arsenic, beryllium, chromium, diesel fumes or nickel; personal or family history of cancer.

            “This is a very easy test,” Dr. Azar said. “It involves no dye and exposure to radiation is minimal.” In addition to the lung cancer screening, current smokers will be offered a smoking cessation program.

            Smokers and past smokers are encouraged to talk to their doctor about the low-dose CT scan or call Heather Colebank, RN, the Lung Cancer Screening Program Nurse Navigator, at (304) 285-3500. Your physician or the nurse navigator can analyze your smoking history to determine if your risk is high enough to participate in the screening. Click here to learn more.