NCH Offering Reduced Cost Lung Screenings

In honor of Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November, Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) is offering low-dose CT lung screenings for half price, $95.

High-risk smokers and former smokers are encouraged to take advantage of NCH’s Early Lung Cancer Screening program, which offers patients a quick and painless, low-dose CT scan that enables doctors to search for signs of cancer at an earlier stage – when lung cancer is most treatable.

Screenings are normally $189 and are not currently covered by insurance or Medicare. During November, NCH is making this screening available to patients for only $95 out-of-pocket cost, a release from the hospital says.

Traditional X-rays provide a 2-dimensional view of the chest, showing not only the lungs, but the heart, bone and soft tissue – all of which can mask abnormalities. Low-dose CT lung scans create a detailed, 3-D image, giving doctors a clearer, unobstructed view of the lungs – and the ability to detect tiny nodules that would often not be visible on a chest X-ray.

An 8-year national benchmark study by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network and the National Cancer Institute showed a 20 percent reduction in lung cancer mortality in current or former heavy smokers whose cancer was detected with a low-dose CT scan, compared with those whose cancer was detected with a chest X-ray.

Not everybody is a candidate for a CT lung screening. Patients must meet the following criteria to qualify for NCH’s Early Lung Cancer Screening program:

·         Age 50 to 74

·         Smoked a pack a day for 30 years, or 2 packs a day for 15 years, OR

·         Smoked a pack a day for 20 years, or 2 packs a day for 10 years - along with an additional risk factor such as an immediate family member with lung cancer

·         Either currently smoking or quit within the past 15 years

·         No chest CT scan in the past year

·         No history of lung cancer

·         No signs or symptoms of lung cancer

Patients who are eligible for the screening will receive quick and painless scanning and a review of the scan by a board-certified radiologist who will look for lung nodules, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and calcified coronary arterial disease. Patients also will receive basic lung function testing by a respiratory therapist, with review by a board-certified pulmonologist. For current smokers who are looking to quit, counseling classes and support groups are provided onsite at NCH.

For more information about NCH’s Early Lung Cancer Screening, visit nch.org or call 847.618.3700. A physician referral is not required, but patients should speak to their primary care physician to determine if this screening is beneficial.