Lung Cancer Screening

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, according to the American Lung Association. However, if detected early, lung cancer has a better prognosis and is more amenable to treatment.

Milford Regional has developed a comprehensive lung cancer screening program to detect the disease early when it is most treatable. Our program is a multi-disciplinary program with a team of specialists coordinating your care locally and includes access to leading edge surgical technology close to home.

Your primary care physician will determine if you are a candidate for the lung screening program and will refer you to a pulmonologist for further consultation to determine if you are at high risk for lung cancer. If you meet the following criteria, you may be at high risk for lung cancer and a screening is recommended: To be eligible for the screening, your doctor will consider the following criteria:

• You are between the ages of 50 and 80 years old
• You have a smoking history of 20 or more pack-years (pack years are the number of cigarette packs smoked per day multiplied by the number of years a person has smoked).
• You are currently smoking or have quit within the last 15 years.

The screening is conducted by a low-dose computed tomography CAT scan. Patients can remain fully-clothed during the scan, needing to remove only metal objects or jewelry. The 10-minute scan does not involve needles, injected dyes or ingested contrasts. Results are reviewed by a radiologist and provided through the patient portal and to your physician within 24 hours.

If necessary, further treatment may be coordinated by a team consisting of your primary care physician, pulmonologist, thoracic surgeon, radiologist and oncologist.

Treatment may involve a surgical plan for those identified as being at risk, and options may include minimally invasive lung surgery or innovative surgical treatment. Your team will determine the best course of treatment after evaluating your risk and screening results.

For more information, watch the video below.