Health Matters: Lung Cancer Screening Program
It causes three times as many deaths as breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer combined. “If we identify something early, we can treat it and you can live,” said Bobbi Marino, a nurse navigator with the Lee Health lung cancer screening program and clinic.
A new lung cancer screening program is identifying and regularly screening patients who may be at risk for developing lung cancer. “Patients don’t go to the doctor unless they have a sign and symptom. If they have a cough, if they’re coughing up blood, if they have unexplained weight loss, fatigue, appetite change, shortness of breath, they will go and see the doctor,” she said.
But the program hopes to catch patients before symptoms develop. “If they have symptoms they don’t really meet the criteria. No signs and symptoms of lung cancer,” Marion said. To be enrolled in the lung cancer screening program, patients must be between the ages of 55 and 77, have a 30 pack-year smoking history, have either stopped smoking in the last 15 years or currently smoke. “It’s their care. It’s just my job to educate them so they make the best decisions. I’ll order for the low-dose CT which is a low amount of radiation. It’s a really low-dose cat scan. It’s not IV’s, no contrast, no pain,” she said.
Depending on the results, patients will continue to receive annual screenings to make sure they are not at risk for lung cancer. A program that’s helping patients protect their health.
View More Health Matters video segments at LeeHealth.org/Healthmatters/ Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health – Caring People. Inspiring Care. Visit LeeHealth.org
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