By Michael Ebright, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, Attending Surgeon, New York & Presbyterian Hospital, and Director, Thoracic Surgery at Stamford Hospital

Here are the top 10 reasons to talk about lung cancer screening with your doctor.

1. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States. It’s also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and most of the time is not diagnosed until you have symptoms like cough, chest pain, or weight loss. But if discovered early, lung cancer can be cured.

2. If you’re between the ages of 50 and 80 and currently smoke, you are at risk for lung cancer. 

3. If you’re a former smoker that quit within the past 15 years and smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day for 20+ years, you are at risk for lung cancer and eligible to be screened.

4. Low-dose CT screening for lung cancer in high-risk people can reduce death rates by up to 20%. Early detection can save lives.

5. We’re designated by the American College of Radiology and a Screening Center of Excellence as recognized by the Lung Cancer Alliance.

6. Abnormal results are immediately evaluated by one of our pulmonologists or thoracic surgeons. Patients with abnormal results can be efficiently evaluated and treated with state-of-the-art technology.

7. You'll have a dedicated Nurse Navigator who acts as a liaison between you and your physicians, improving access to personalized and efficient care.

8. We'll save you time by maintaining contact with your primary care physician, ensuring that all results and recommendations are communicated to your entire care team.

9. Our multidisciplinary team approach lets physicians of various specialties work together to determine the best course of action for your care. We know that, to properly treat patients with any kind of cancer, the experts need to work together.

10. You’ll be even more encouraged to Commit to Quit. Our lung screening program works closely with our smoking cessation program, overseen by pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, and two certified tobacco-cessation specialists. We cannot emphasize enough that smoking cessation is the single most important intervention to lower the likelihood of developing lung cancer. Please call 203-276-QUIT (7848) to schedule an appointment. And if you’re trying to quit and need a little boost, here are the top 10 reasons to stop smoking.

If you think you might be a good candidate for our lung cancer screening program, please bring this prescription form to your physician. As always, we encourage you to discuss the risks and benefits of lung cancer screening with your doctor.

The Bennett Cancer Center is proud to be a member of the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Care Collaborative, providing our staff and patients access to the latest and most effective, evidence-based best practices and standards in cancer treatment and research.