St. Luke’s Medical Center Recommends Low-Dose CT Screening for Patients at High-Risk for Lung Cancer
St. Luke’s Medical Center is taking a stand against lung cancer by encouraging patients who are at a high risk for the disease to receive an annual low-dose CT scan, a radiology procedure performed using the lowest possible dose of radiation.
These low-dose scans, which take about two minutes, have proven to be effective in identifying lung cancer at an early stage, when it is more treatable. High-risk patients include current smokers and individuals, who have smoked at least a pack of cigarettes daily for 20 years, as well as those who have quit.
According to the American Lung Association, lung cancer accounts for approximately 28 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States and is the leading cancer killer of both men and women. The majority of people who develop lung cancer do not survive in part because the cancer is not found until it is in an advanced stage.
“We recommend a low-dose CT scan for any patient with a significant history of smoking,” said Larry S. Carpenter, MD, radiation oncologist, St. Luke’s Medical Center. “Two minutes for a low-dose CT scan could mean the difference between life and death. If any suspicious findings are noted, the images are further reviewed by a panel of multidisciplinary physicians after which a comprehensive report is prepared for the patient. If an abnormality is confirmed, St. Luke’s offers a variety of less invasive or minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment options provided under the care of highly skilled medical oncologists, pulmonologists, chest surgeons and radiation oncologists.”
In addition to the low-dose CT scan, St. Luke’s Medical Center offers Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy, a minimally invasive technique used to obtain sample tissue for a biopsy should a CT scan identify tumors or abnormalities. Used as an alternative to an invasive surgical biopsy, the tracking system is designed to reach small suspected lesions in difficult-to-reach areas of the lung.
Early stage lung cancer may be treated through surgery. Alternatively, St. Luke’s also offers a non-surgical approach to safely eliminate lung cancer utilizing the CyberKnife® robotic radiosurgery system. CyberKnife® delivers high doses of radiation to a tumor with extreme accuracy from hundreds of directions, with minimal damage to the healthy surrounding tissue. With CyberKnife®, there is no pain and no anesthesia, and patients return to normal activity after each treatment. Unlike traditional treatment options, which require patients to receive treatment for multiple days over a period of weeks, CyberKnife® patients receive their entire treatment course during five simple sessions.
To schedule a screening, patients can submit an online request or call 832-355-3627.
