November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. If you are concerned about getting your cancer screenings during the pandemic, contact your screening facility to find out the practices and protocols they are following to help keep patients and providers safe.
A lung cancer screening is done using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), which you might hear referred to as a CT scan. During the screening, you lie on a table and the CT scan makes detailed images of your lungs. The scan only takes a few minutes and is not painful.
The screening results can help find cancer early, when it’s small and may be easier to treat.
Who should be screened? The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends yearly lung cancer screening with LDCT for people who
Heavy smoking means a smoking history of “30 pack years” or more. A pack year is smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. For example, a person could have a 30 pack-year history by smoking one pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years.
Want to quit smoking? Talk with your workplace oncology nurse navigators, who can direct you to smoking cessation resources, like The Great American Smokeout, which is being held this year on November 19. This annual event–sponsored by the American Cancer Society–is your chance to join others across the country as they quit smoking and reduce their risk for cancer.
Find out more about lung cancer symptoms and treatments and how you can minimize your risks by visiting the Cancer Types section of the Work Stride website.
And your workplace oncology nurse navigators can answer any questions you may have regarding lung cancer. Contact them at 844-446-6229, or managecancer@jh.edu.
