Free Lung Screening

Current or former smokers between ages 50 and 80 are eligible for a free lung screening in New York metropolitan-area North Shore-LIJ facilities.

Early detection matters, because lung cancer is most treatable in its earliest stages. By the time a person has symptoms, lung cancer may have already spread, says the American Lung Association. One reason lung cancer is so serious is because it usually is not found until it has spread and is more difficult to treat.

Furthermore, deaths from lung cancer mortality are more common than from colon, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers combined, according to the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association.

Your Free Lung Screening: What to Expect

We walk every patient through the free lung screening process and take the time to review next steps and follow-up plans.

With a computed tomography (CT) scanner, a radiology specialist will take images of your lungs. The scans take no more than five minutes and use very little radiation. CT scans increase the probability of survival because they are the best way to find lung cancer in its earliest stages, says the American Lung Association .

A doctor will inspect the CT images for signs of lung cancer. Our lung-health team includes radiologists, thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, internal medicine specialists, oncologists and radiation oncologists who specialize in detecting and treating lung cancer.

Besides smoking, exposure to radon, diesel fumes and asbestos can also cause lung cancer, says the American Cancer Society. The best way to prevent lung cancer is never to smoke or to quit smoking now.

Learn about your risk. To schedule a free lung screening, call 1-855-375-LUNG (5864). You will receive an appointment for a CT scan at a location convenient for you. We have locations in Staten Island, Manhattan, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk.

This post was written by Lawrence Glassman, MD, chief of thoracic surgery at North Shore University Hospital and LIJ Medical Center.

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