Low-Dose Lung Cancer Screenings
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women. It is estimated there are 10 million individuals at high risk for developing lung cancer in the United States.
Beebe Healthcare and the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout aim to help people quit smoking and understand their risk of lung cancer. Smoking cessation counseling is available to Sussex County residents by calling the Delaware Quitline.
Screenings Save Lives
Studies have shown that lung cancer screening can save lives. Screening has been approved by Medicare and other insurance companies because it helps to detect lung cancer at an early stage when it is most treatable.
Beebe Healthcare offers low-dose CT lung cancer screenings in Rehoboth, Georgetown, Millville, and Lewes. Patients should talk to their doctor about a lung screening if they are between the ages of 50 and 80, currently a smoker, a previous smoker who quit within the past 15 years, or if they have at least a 20 pack-year history. Smoking-year history is calculated based on the number of cigarettes smoked per day, multiplied by the number of years of smoking. For example, if someone smoked two packs of cigarettes per day for 10 years, they would have a 20 pack-year history. With your doctor's order, call 302-645-3278 to schedule your lung cancer screening.
These scans are offered at very low cost to make them affordable to as many people as possible with a charge of $99, which includes the interpretation of the images. Patients who are uninsured or underinsured may also qualify for screenings through Delaware’s Screening for Life program at no charge to them.
Results from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) showed that those who received low-dose CT scans had a 20 percent lower risk of dying from lung cancer than those who received standard chests X-rays. All of the people that participated in the trial were at high risk for lung cancer. This screening at Beebe is approved only for high-risk individuals and is part of Beebe Healthcare's high-risk screening clinic initiative.
What Tests Diagnose Lung Cancer
Tests that may be used to look for and learn more about the lung cancer include:
Chest x-rays. A chest x-ray allows your care team to look at your lungs and airways. Chest x-rays can help healthcare providers look for lumps, nodules, spots, or other abnormal areas in the lungs. The x-ray can show these abnormalities but it does not diagnose cancer. If it might be cancer, your physician may order additional tests.
CT scans. A CT or CAT scan uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the body. These scans help your care team look for lung abnormalities in more detail.
Positive-emission tomography (PET scan). This test is done by Beebe Imaging. A radioactive substance is injected and then you have the scan. The care team can see abnormal growths in the body, which show up as “hot spots” on the scan. PET scans can also be used to tell if a tumor is growing or shrinking.
Sputum test. If you’re coughing up mucus, your healthcare provider will probably send a sample to the lab for analysis. The lab can check the mucus for cancerous cells. While this might be an indicator, it is possible to have lung cancer and not have any cancerous cells show up on the test.
Bronchoscopy. A bronchoscope is a thin, flexible tube that contains a tiny video camera. The tube is passed through your nose or mouth, down through your windpipe (trachea) and into your lungs. A bronchoscopy allows your care team to see what is happening inside your airways and lungs. Providers can also take small tissue samples (biopsies) and send them to a lab to see if they’re cancerous.
Endobronchial ultrasound. In some cases your care team will do this test at the same time as bronchoscopy. In addition to viewing your airways and lungs with the video camera, your physician may also use an ultrasound probe to look inside and outside the lungs. This test can also show if lung cancer has spread. Tissue samples gathered can be used to diagnose cancer.
Fine needle aspiration. If a scan reveals a suspicious mass or possible tumor in the lungs, a radiologist may use a thin needle to take a sample of the abnormal area and sent to a lab to see if there are cancer cells.
Core needle biopsy. If a larger sample is needed, your care team may recommend a core needle biopsy can also be used to determine whether or not a mass is cancerous.
Surgical lung biopsy. Depending on the location of the suspected tumor (or tumors), surgery may be the best way to get a good tissue sample to determine if it’s cancerous.
Thoracentesis. In this test, a hollow needle is inserted into the chest to remove fluid around the lungs. The fluid can be tested for cancer.
Biomarker testing. Tissue removed during a biopsy can be tested for several biomarkers for cancer that can give the doctor specific information about the tumor. Biomarker testing gives healthcare teams more information about your type of lung cancer. All lung cancers are not the same. Biomarker testing can help your care team decide what types of treatment will be most effective for you.