Lung cancer screenings save lives

Over the last five decades, lung cancer has remained the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, primarily due to late-stage diagnosis resulting in less effective treatment outcomes. In the early stages of lung cancer, patients and healthcare providers are unable to identify any indications or symptoms; however, significant advancements in lung cancer screening have considerably enhanced the ability to detect lung cancer in its early stages.

What is a lung cancer screening? 

Lung cancer screening tests can detect 80 percent of lung cancers at their early stages, when treatment and prognosis are much better. Recently, insurances have approved for the payment of an imaging exam called a low-dose computed tomography, or a low-dose CT scan.  It is the only recommended test for lung cancer screening at this time. 

Who is eligible? 

Recent established guidelines recommend that anyone who meets the following criteria may receive a low-dose CT scan of the chest every year for the screening of lung cancer: 

• Patients between the ages of 50 and 80 
• Patients who have at least a 20-pack-year history of smoking tobacco or other inhalants; “pack year” history is calculated by multiplying the number of years a patient has smoked by the number of packs they have smoked per day 
• Patients who currently smoke tobacco or who have quit within the last 15 years 

If you meet these criteria, talk to your primary care physician or any provider. Your PCP can refer you to TidalHealth's lung cancer screening program at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, the TidalHealth Millsboro Pavilion, or TidalHealth Nanticoke after a low-dose chest CT is ordered. 

How is it performed? 

After the imaging is ordered by the healthcare provider, a lung cancer coordinator will assist in the scheduling of the exam. The patient will arrive at the imaging center and lie on a table and slowly moves through a CT scanner.  The process takes approximately 5-15 minutes. The patient typically goes home immediately after the test, and there is no pain associated with the test. The patient typically does not require an IV for the simple lung cancer screening imaging. 

Getting results 

The length of time for the lung cancer screening tests results will vary from 3-7 days. Often, the results are reported on the patient's MyChart account. It is important to discuss the results with a lung cancer or pulmonary nodule expert after the results are formalized. In some cases, this scan may find incidental findings within the chest or in other parts of your body, not just the lungs. In addition, there may be small masses within the lung tissue itself called pulmonary nodules that may or may not be harmless.

Results on a report may seem confusing, and often cause anxiety. For this reason, it’s important to discuss with an expert what these findings mean. Furthermore, if the CT scan is found to be abnormal, the patient may require additional testing and sometimes a biopsy or surgery. 

TidalHealth has developed a comprehensive lung cancer detection program involving numerous experts among different healthcare specialties at several locations. These locations allow patients to find easy access. 

TidalHealth Peninsula Regional (Salisbury, Md.):  410-749-1282

TidalHealth Millsboro Pavilion (Millsboro, Del.):  302-297-2598  

TidalHealth Nanticoke (Seaford, Del.):  302-297-2598 

TidalHealth Ocean Pines Campus (Berlin, Md.):  410-749-1282  

Lung cancer screening is a safe and effective way to detect lung cancer in its early stages. This type of screening is only recommended for people who are at high risk for lung cancer due to their age and smoking history. If you have a history if smoking, The low-dose CT scan of the chest has saved many lives because of its early detection before symptoms arrive.