Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among West Virginia residents. It is also the number one cancer killer in the country, causing more deaths than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.
That’s why physicians and staff with the CAMC Lung Cancer Screening Program are working with patients and referring providers to detect lung cancer early – when it’s most treatable.
“One of the big problems with lung cancer is that it often doesn’t cause any symptoms at all,” said Nathan Kister, MD, cardiothoracic surgery. “This screening has really revolutionized our treatment because it has allowed us to get to patients earlier who often don’t know that they have lung cancer.”
Individuals between the ages of 50-80 who meet specific criteria for the program will be screened and follow up with a multidisciplinary team of experts who specialize in lung nodules.
“The lung cancer screening itself is a very easy test to do,” said Rayan Ihle, MD, pulmonary disease and critical care medicine. “It’s a low-dose CT scan that doesn’t require dye or an IV and only takes about 15 minutes to complete. As a low-dose CT scan, it means that it’s about a tenth of the radiation that a normal CT scan has.”
When lung cancer is found early with a low-dose lung CT scan, patients can more often undergo minimally-invasive surgery and have less lung tissue removed.
A physician’s referral is required for the lung cancer screening. To start the referral process, call CAMC Pulmonology at (304) 388-2303 or visit camc.org/services/lung-cancer-care for more information.
Drs. Ihle and Kister discuss the CAMC Lung Cancer Screening program and what individuals who qualify can expect from the program.
