1. Screening for Lung Cancer Jess Dalehite, M.D. Southwest Medical Imaging Midland Memorial Hospital

2. Lung Cancer the Killer 160,000 deaths from lung cancer each year. More than breast, colon, prostate and pancreas combined. More women die of LC than BC. Most lung cancer is not curable when it is discovered. By the time it becomes symptomatic it has already spread.

3. Cure for Lung Cancer Early detection and surgical removal before it spreads is the only way to cure lung cancer. Lung cancer that has spread can be treated with chemotherapy and radiation but the 5 year survival rate for metastatic lung cancer is around 5%.

4. How to Screen for Lung Cancer CXR has been a miserable failure. Checking sputum for cancer cells doesn’t work. Routine diagnostic CT scanning is good but the radiation dose is too high to screen every year for life.

5. The Solution: LDCT LDCT= Low Dose CT to screen for lung cancer. Painless 10 sec scan without IV contrast. We dial the radiation dose down to 20% of a normal diagnostic chest CT. Can detect a lung cancer as small as 1/16 of an inch.

6. Who should get a LDCT? Older patients with a long history of smoking. Age: 55-79 y/o Smoking history: At least 30 pack year history. Quit smoking less than 15 years ago. Future: Maybe 5o y/o with a 20 pack year history.

7. Who Pays? The scan currently costs $300 at MMH. Medicare, Medicaid and Private Insurance currently do not pay. Recent thumbs up by USPSTF that will mandate payment under Obamacare.

8. How effective is it? Screening studies are evaluated by how many people must be screened to save one life. Breast screening with mammography= 1000 Colon screening with colonoscopy= 800 Lung screening with LDCT= 350.

9. Saving Lives 20% reduction in mortality for those who are screened annually for 3 years. That’s 38,000 American men and women each year!!!

10. Odds The vast majority of people who smoke will never develop lung cancer. COPD, other cancers. Heavy smokers are at the greatest risk. Lung cancer is a curable disease if discovered early. Heavy smokers have already made one mistake, why compound it with another; not getting screened?

11. Free Screening in September MMH is offering free LDCT for those who fit the criteria and have an order from their doctor for the test. Scheduling is available on each Saturday of September. Call 682-XRAY (682-9729)

12. Questions?