Northwest Community Healthcare offers lung cancer screening at reduced rate

In honor of Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November, Northwest Community Healthcare 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.

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 eight-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:

Ÿ must be ages 50 to 74;

Ÿ smoked a pack a day for 30 years, or two packs a day for 15 years;

Ÿ smoked a pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years, along with an additional risk factor such as an immediate family member with lung cancer;

Ÿ either currently smoking or quit within the past 15 years;

Ÿ no chest CT scan in the past year;

Ÿ no history of lung cancer;

Ÿ 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 on-site at NCH.

For 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.