Lung Screening Program Now Available at LRMC

[The Patriot]

A lung cancer screening program is now being offered by the Pulmonary Medicine Clinic at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. "Lung cancer screening for the target, high-risk population has been shown to decrease the overall rate of death, and the likelihood of death, specifically from lung cancer," said Major (Dr.) Brian Cohee of the reason why the Pulmonary Medicine Clinic initiated the screening program last November. "This program ensures that patients understand the risks and benefits of screenings and helps make sure they continue to get regular screenings while they qualify for it and if they so desire. It also helps facilitate the most important intervention to stop lung cancer, which is helping people to quit smoking." If you are ages 55-80, are a current smoker or quit within the past 15 years, and you smoked at least 30 pack years (one pack year is one pack of cigarettes per day for a year, or two packs a day for 6 months), you qualify to be entered into the program. You will need to be referred to the program by your primary care doctor. Once referred to the clinic, you will receive a screening appointment with a pulmonary nurse to go over your personal risk factors and all the material, as well as an order for a chest CT scan. You will then receive annual CT scans until you no longer meet the risk factors for lung cancer. If you are interested in participating in the program, please contact your primary care doctor and ask to be referred. If you have any questions regarding the program, you can contact the pulmonary clinic at DSN 590-5855/Commercial 06371-9464-5855.

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