Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset Offers Free Lung Cancer Screenings Beginning May 1

Lung cancer accounts for approximately 27 percent of all cancer deaths and is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, according to the American Cancer Society. Identifying lung cancer at any early stage will offer more treatment options and increases the chances of survival, as the survival rate after a late diagnosis is very dismal and can be as low as a 15 percent. In an effort to increase survival rates, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset will be offering free lung cancer screenings for eligible smokers or former smokers for a limited time beginning May 1. Screenings will take place at RWJ Somerset’s Steeplechase Cancer Center, located at 30 Rehill Avenue in Somerville, NJ.

The goal of lung cancer screenings with low-dose computed tomography (CT) is to increase the number of lung cancers diagnosed at an early stage and to reduce the time between a lung cancer diagnosis and the start of the treatment. When identified early enough, lung cancer has been shown to be up to 90 percent curable.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that people at high risk for lung cancer receive a low-dose CT scan every year. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services also recently announced that they would add lung cancer screening as a benefit under Medicare for high risk patients.

“We have had tremendous interest in lung cancer screenings since the federal government announced it would cover for individuals with Medicare coverage,” said Katrina Losa, administrative director of the Steeplechase Cancer Center. “However, the Medicare reimbursement has not yet gone into effect. In the interim, we are pleased to offer lung cancer screenings free of charge for a limited time on a first-come, first-served basis to ensure that those at high risk have timely access to this important method of early detection.”

The Steeplechase Cancer Center will be providing free lung cancer screenings, which includes a CT scan and a follow-up visit with a health care provider, for:

· Smokers or former smokers age 55 to 77

· 30 or more pack years of cigarette smoking (a pack a year equals the number of packs smoked per day times the number of years smoked)

· Those who have quit within 15 years age 55 to 77 and are asymptomatic for signs of lung cancer

The best chance for treating lung cancer is to find it as early as possible. Symptoms often don’t appear in people until they have received a diagnosis in the later stages, when survival rates are low. Symptoms to be mindful of include coughing, infections, trouble breathing, pain from breathing, swelling and weakness. Symptoms in various parts of your body may also occur, such as having a loss of appetite, weight loss, muscle aches, frequent headaches, blood clots, and extreme fatigue.

Qualified smokers and former smokers are urged to take advantage of RWJ Somerset’s free lung cancer screenings to reduce their risk of developing lung cancer and increase their chances of survival.

Limited space is available. To schedule your appointment, call (908) 927-8778.

To learn more about RWJUH, please visit www.rwjuh.edu. For a referral to a physician affiliated with RWJUH, please call 1-888-MD-RWJUH. Follow us on Twitter at www.rwjuh.edu/twitter and Facebook at www.rwjuh.edu/facebook