Lung cancer screening can help save lives

Simple screening detects lung cancer at earliest stages for individuals at high risk

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths around the world, with only 25% of Americans surviving five years, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Hidden in those numbers, however, is the fact that survival rates triple when cancer is found early while still in the lung.

“If we find it early enough, we could save your life,” says Felisha Hauswirth, BSN, RN, lung health specialist at Adena Health and head of Adena’s lung cancer screening program.

Many people who qualify for a lung screening won’t get one because they are afraid of what might be found, Felisha says. She encourages people to think of it differently: If there is something there, finding it early means simpler treatment with a high chance of it being curative. Because most cases of early lung cancers don’t have symptoms, they are found only through screenings.

“If we find something early enough, there is a high possibility that it can be removed with surgery before it spreads to other parts of the body—and there’s no need for further chemo or radiation treatments,” she says.

The screening for lung cancer is performed through a noninvasive low-dose CT scan that takes just a few minutes. Adena provides free screenings in Chillicothe, Greenfield, and Waverly. Since starting the program in 2013, the number of cases being detected at Stage 1 has increased, while the number of Stage 4 diagnoses have decreased.

“A lot of the patients we diagnose are in the early stages, which is wonderful,” Felisha says.

Encourage employees to sign up for the cancer screening at the link below, or if you are an employer interested in hosting a screening on-site for employees, contact Occupational Health at 740-779-7813.