Lung Cancer Screening & Risks
Cancer Facts
Cancer Facts
Read this section then take the Cancer Challenge.
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Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer of men and women. Lung cancer kills nearly twice as many women as breast cancer and three times as many men as prostate cancer. Lung cancer kills more people than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined.
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Radon, an odorless, invisible radioactive gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Testing your home for radon is inexpensive and easy. Mitigating a radon problem can be fast, effective, and economical.
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Lung cancer screening using annual low-dose CT to find lung cancer early, when it's potentially curable.
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The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends lung cancer screening for people who are at least age 50 with a minimum 20 "pack-year" smoking history. (Pack years are calculated by multiplying the number of packs smoked by the number of years smoked.
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People who quit smoking within the past 15 years also qualify for lung cancer screening if they meet the smoking history and age guidelines. (Lung cancer screening is covered by most insurance.)
Lung Cancer Screening Criteria
Annual lung cancer screening is recommended if:
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You are 50 to 80 years old
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You currently smoke or have you quit within the past 15 years
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You have a 20 pack-year smoking history
Lung Cancer
Risk Factors
What are the risk factors for lung cancer?
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Smoking
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Second-hand smoke
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Radon
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Asbestos
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Air pollution
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Arsenic in water
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Workplace toxins
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Radiation therapy (from previous cancers)
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Family history
What is a Pack-Year?
A pack-year is calculated as:
Packs of cigarettes smoked per day
Years smoked
Pack Years
For example, if you smoke one pack of cigarettes a day over 20 years, you have a 20 pack-year smoking history.
Low Dose CT Scans
A low-dose CT scan is completely non-invasive, quick, and painless. You will need to lie on a table that slides in and out of the scan machine while it takes multiple pictures of your chest. Nothing more!
Lung Cancer Quiz
Cancer Challenge
1. __________ cancer is the number one cancer killer of men and women.
Breast
X
Prostate
X
Colon
X
Lung
√
2. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.
True
√
False
X
3. Lung cancer screening uses annual __________ .
X-Ray
X
MRI
X
Ultrasound
X
Low-Dose CT
√
4. The minimum age for lung cancer screening is __________ .
40
X
50
√
55
X
60
X
5. People who quit smoking may qualify for lung cancer screening if they quit withing the past 15 years.
True
√
False
X
Thank you for taking the Cancer Challenge!
If you or someone you know may qualify for lung cancer screening, please share this information with them. You may save a life!
This Cancer Challenge is presented by LiveLung, a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission of advancing lung cancer awareness, early detection of lung cancer, and compassion for people impacted by lung cancer.
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