King's Daughters' Health

To Catch a Colon and lung cancers typically don't cause symptoms until their later stages, when treating them is difficult. Detecting them early with screenings gives patients the upper hand. WHEN PHYSICIANS CAN diagnose colon and lung cancers before they grow large and spread, treatments are more likely to be effective. King's Daughters' Health offers screenings for both of these common forms of cancer. In Search of Polyps Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon cancer screening because it is the only test that allows physicians to find polyps – growths on the lining of the colon that can become cancerous – and remove them at the same time. Most people should have their first colonoscopy at age 50. African-Americans and individuals with a first-degree relative who had colon cancer should start screenings earlier because their risk is higher. Another screening available at KDH is fecal DNA testing, in which stool samples are examined for traces of blood and colon cancer cells from large polyps. Individuals collect the samples at home and mail them to a laboratory for testing. The test is covered by Medicare. "Fecal DNA testing is the latest non-colonoscopy colon cancer screening, but it does have drawbacks," says Thomas Eckert, MD, gastroenterologist at KDH. "It is less likely to detect small polyps, which can grow and are more likely to turn cancerous. With colonoscopy, we remove all polyps, regardless of size. If the fecal DNA test finds evidence of cancer, a colonoscopy will still be necessary to remove the polyps. Fecal DNA testing needs to be performed yearly, unlike, in many cases, colonoscopy." A Good Look at the Lungs Low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans have become the go-to method of screening for lung cancer. "A chest X-ray is not sensitive enough to see lung cancers in their early stages," says George Alcorn, MD, pulmonologist at KDH. "A CT scan shows the lungs in finer detail. Studies have shown that annual CT scans of the lungs reduce deaths from lung cancer, unlike a chest X-ray." KDH offers low-dose CT scans, which are covered by Medicare for patients with a physician's order. In order to qualify for screening, patients must: • be 55–77 years old • be current or former smokers who quit within the past 15 years • have a 30-pack-year (or longer) history of smoking • have no symptoms of lung cancer Patients can also pay an $88 fee if they don't have insurance or a physician's order "The scan helps us find small nodules on the lungs that could be cancerous," Dr. Alcorn says. "If we find any, we biopsy them to see if cancer is present. If the scan is clear, the patient has another scan a year later." ■ ■ Visit www.kdhmadison.org/cancer for more information about cancer screenings and our Cancer Treatment Center. "Cancer screening is critically important because it's potentially lifesaving. It's not something to put off." – Thomas Eckert, MD, gastroenterologist at King's Daughters' Health THIEF 6 SPRING 2018 // www.kdhmadison.org

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