Lung Cancer Awareness
It's never too late to talk to your health care provider about your lung health.
While the number of new lung cancer cases continues to decrease nationally, due to people quitting smoking and advances in early detection and treatment, lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. If diagnosed at an early stage, the national five-year survival rate for lung cancer cases is 60%, but only 24% of cases are diagnosed at an early stage. .
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:
- 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 77 years old;
- 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 weight loss with no known cause.
A pack-year is smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. For example, a person could have a 20 pack-year history by smoking one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years.**
Learn more about low-dose, CT lung cancer screenings: 304.781.LUNG (5864)
Smoking Cessation Classes
There is no safe level of tobacco use. If you use any type of tobacco product, please protect your health and quit. Marshall Health Network offers smoking cessation support through these locations:
St. Mary’s smoking cessation program offers:
- One-on-one counseling with a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist
- Individualized program focusing on each person’s personal motives for quitting
- Individual treatment plan
- Sessions scheduled at your convenience
Enrollment is just $25. To register, please call 304.399.7402.
Smoking cessation counseling is conducted by the Cabell Huntington Hospital Pulmonary Rehabilitation Department. All of the staff in Pulmonary Rehab are credentialed through the American Lung Association as Freedom From Smoking facilitators and conduct the classes based on their availability and scheduling.
For help with quitting smoking or using smokeless tobacco, please call 304.399.2881 to learn more about Cabell Huntington Hospital’s smoking cessation program.
Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center has a dedicated staff member certified in smoking cessation. Patients can schedule one-on-one appointments by calling 304.399.6770.
Lung Cancer Screening Self-Referral Form
