Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the United States, according to the American Lung Society. The lung cancer five-year survival rate (16.3%) is lower than many other leading cancer sites, such as the colon (65.2%), breast (90.0%) and prostate (99.9%).
The five-year survival rate for lung cancer is 52.6 percent for cases detected when the disease is still localized (within the lungs). However, only 15 percent of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage.
Beginning October 1, 2013, Minnie Hamilton Hospital's Radiology department will begin to offer a new screening for early detection of tumors in the lungs. It is a low-dose CT scan of the lungs. According to an article in the August 12, 2013 issue of Time magazine, there are 94 million current and former smokers in the U.S. and every year 160,000 of them die from lung cancer. A study released by the National Cancer Institute called the National Lung Screening Trial, demonstrated that using low-dose CT instead of traditional X-ray resulted in a 20 percent decrease in this death rate.
Because of the high rate of smokers in and around Calhoun County, this low-cost screening could be a valuable tool in diagnosing our at-risk population early with lung tumors before they show symptoms and cancer spreads outside the lung area.
The expected cost of this screening will be approximately $125.00. Because this is a screening, at this time most insurance companies are not covering the cost of this. Also, because of the low cost, this screening will not be eligible for sliding fee.
We, at the radiology department of Minnie Hamilton, are committed to providing state-of-the-art testing close to home. See your doctor to determine if you could benefit from this new screening.
To learn more about what Minnie Hamilton Health System has to offer check out our web site at Minnie Hamilton Health System
or call 304-354-9244.
