Hope for a healthier future is here with innovative lung cancer screenings. Have you heard that lung cancer deaths are starting to decrease due to smoking cessation and technological advancements in lung cancer screening and treatment?
Even so, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women and the leading cause of cancer death. In fact, each year more people die from lung cancer than prostate, breast and colon cancer combined.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 235,760 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed by the end of 2021. These statistics can seem overwhelming, but thankfully there’s hope.
One promising lung cancer screening is a low-dose CT (LDCT) scan. An LCDT examines the structures inside the chest using X-ray transmissions that are converted to detailed images. These images are examined to find abnormalities that may be lung cancer prior to the onset of symptoms. This screening is easy and non-invasive.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, in part because it has no symptoms in its early stages. When found early, the likelihood of survival and positive treatment outcomes increase.
LDCT screening is available at Billings Clinic and recommended for individuals between age 55 and 77 who are still smoking or have quit smoking in the last 15 years and historically smoked 30 packs a year or more.
Another new innovation that holds promise to fight lung cancer is the Monarch™ Platform. Billings Clinic is among the first in the United States to use this innovative technology for lung cancer diagnosis. Monarch™ is used to view the inside of the lungs and obtain a tissue sample for biopsy, even in hard-to-reach nodules in the periphery of the lung.
The goal of the Monarch™ Platform is to find and more accurately diagnose lung cancer at an early stage. This advanced technology integrates the latest in robotics, software, data science, and endoscopy. Billings Clinic is the only health care organization in Montana, Wyoming or Idaho with this technology.
While advancements in technology and early detection work to save lives by increasing access to effective treatment, the best way to prevent lung cancer is by practicing healthy behaviors and avoiding high-risk behavior such as smoking, exposure to radon, and eating an unhealthy diet.
Billings Clinic offers smoking cessation counseling to individuals looking to lower their risk factors of lung cancer. To schedule a smoking cessation appointment, please call Billings Clinic’s central appointment desk at 406-238-2501.
To schedule a lung screening appointment, call 406-238-LUNG (5864) or 1-800-332-7156 or visit billingsclinic.com/lungscreening to learn more information.