HAMPTON ROADS — Sentara Health now offers low-dose CT lung scans on Saturdays at imaging centers in Hampton Roads, northeastern North Carolina, and northern Virginia.
In addition, all Sentara imaging centers can schedule appointments Monday through Friday, it said.
According to the American Lung Association, a low-dose CT scan is a special kind of X-ray that takes multiple pictures as you lie on a table that slides in and out of the machine. A computer then combines these images into a detailed picture of your lungs.
Regular screenings can help detect lung cancer early, when it’s easier to treat. However, only 1 in 10 people at higher risk for lung cancer get screened, according to Sentara Health.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and an opportunity to encourage eligible individuals to talk to their provider about getting a scan, it added.
Those eligible include people between the ages of 50 and 80 with a 20-pack-a-year smoking history, current smokers, and those who quit within the past 15 years. Only 5% to 17% of that population are screened.
“The truth is low-dose CT screenings are very simple to do,” said Raffaele Marchigiani, M.D., thoracic surgeon at Sentara Surgery Specialists. “They are very quick and painless and can honestly save your life if you catch something early as opposed to later on.”
Lung cancer is generally diagnosed based on symptoms at stage III or IV, Sentara said. Cancers found on low-dose CT scans are often stage I or II. Survival is significantly higher when lung cancer is detected early, which is often before symptoms appear.
According to the American Cancer Society, 2024 will see about 235,000 new cases of lung cancer. Annual testing for those who qualify is the best way to prevent a bigger problem, Sentara said.
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States”, shared John Plemmons, M.D., medical director at the Sentara Brock Cancer Center’s McLeskey Comprehensive Breast Center. “Early detection really does make a difference.”
To learn more and to schedule a screening, visit Sentara Health’s screening site.
