& # 39; Ohio Lung Association urges millions of people at risk to undergo lung cancer screening | Community

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women, with 10,760 new diagnoses in Ohio estimated in 2018 alone. Screening for lung cancer can diagnose the disease in the earliest stages, when it is most curable. However, less than five percent of people at high risk for lung cancer have been screened. According to the Lung Association, if the eight million eligible Americans were selected, about 25,000 lives would be saved.

"Screening for the disease can make all the difference and if lung cancer is detected before it spreads, the probability of survival of five years or more increases to 56%," said Kim Covey, director Executive of the Lung Association in Ohio. "We need to make sure people know about lung cancer and its risk factors and talk to their doctor if they are concerned about their risk."

Screening is recommended for people aged 55 to 80 who smoke or have quit in the last 15 years and who smoke the equivalent of 30 "years of conditioning" (one pack per day for 30 years, two packs for 15 years). , etc.).

As part of its LUNG FORCE initiative, the American Lung Association is working to raise awareness of this screening, including through a partnership with Ad Council as part of the first public awareness campaign "Saved By The Scan ". This campaign encourages former smokers to talk to their doctor about their risk and respond to a short online eligibility questionnaire at SavedByTheScan.org/quiz.

As lung cancer screening is relatively new, to ensure that all eligible people are aware of screening, but also have access to screening, the Lung Association has partnered with the American Thoracic Society to launch the Cancer Screening Guide. implementation of lung cancer screening. The guide helps hospitals and community-based health systems implement lung cancer screening programs, which will encourage access to screening that will save the lives of eligible individuals, regardless of where they live.

"We want to make sure that all people who are qualified for screening know that it is an option and that they can access screening in their communities," Covey said. "We are at a crucial time to fight this disease and we are working to spread the word about screening because it literally saves many lives."

Visit Lung.org/lung-cancer to learn more about lung cancer, share your experiences with the disease, and support lung cancer research.