Sacred Heart - Inspiring Health

A SAFER SCREENING SOFTWARE UPGRADES TO CT SCANNERS AT HSHS SACRED HEART HOSPITAL ENABLE PATIENTS TO RECEIVE LIFESAVING TESTS WITH LESS EXPOSURE TO RADIATION. IDENTIFYING LUNG CANCER early increases a patient's chances of survival. Unfortunately, most people who develop the disease do not display symptoms until it is in its later stages and more difficult to treat. "Once lung cancer progresses to Stage 3 or higher, the chance of surviving it drops to only 5 percent," says Georgia Smith, MSN, MHA, RN, OCN, Executive Director of Cancer Services at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital. For this reason, people who are at risk for the disease should consider getting a computed tomography (CT) scan, a noninvasive procedure in which a series of X-ray images is taken for the purpose of identifying abnormalities in the lungs. According to the National Cancer Institute, a trial indicated that "people aged 55 to 74 years with a history of heavy smoking are 20 percent less likely to die from lung cancer if they are screened with low-dose helical CT than if they are screened with standard chest X-rays." HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital recently added new software to their computed tomography scanners to offer these screening tests. In order to be eligible, patients must: ✳ Be between the ages of 55 and 80 ✳ Have a 30 pack-year smoking history ✳ Be a current smoker, or have quit within 15 years Smith emphasizes the importance of choosing a facility that is accredited by the American College of Radiology and has board-certified radiologists on staff to read the scans. The facility should also be affiliated with a Commission on Cancer–accredited cancer center in case follow-up care is required. Save Your Breath Many people know that cigarette smoke is a prominent risk factor for lung cancer, but you might be surprised by just how prominent: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it's associated with up to 90 percent of lung cancer cases. Even if you're not a smoker, your risk of developing lung cancer increases 20 to 30 percent if you live with people who do. Other risk factors for lung cancer include exposure to: • Radiation (for example, if you have a significant history of chest X-rays) • Air pollution, including diesel exhaust and arsenic • Radon • Asbestos If you have concerns about your susceptibility, speak to your primary care physician about steps you can take to lower your lung cancer risk. Do you know your lung cancer risk? Take our Lung Cancer Aware Assessment at sacredhearteauclaire.org/healthaware. 1 5 S A C R E D H E A R T E A U C L A I R E . O R G

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