HEALTH MATTERS Saved By The Scan

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The approximately 9 million Americans at high risk for lung cancer—including many former smokers—could save their own lives by talking to a doctor about getting screened.
The approximately 9 million Americans at high risk for lung cancer—including many former smokers—could save their own lives by talking to a doctor about getting screened.

(NAPSI)—So, you’ve stopped smoking. Congratulations! Take a deep breath and thank yourself for reducing your risk of lung cancer, the No. 1 cancer killer of both men and women.

What To Do Now

Take the next step. According to the experts at the American Lung Association, for some quitting is only half the battle. Speak to your doctor to see if you might qualify for lung cancer screening. A low-dose CT scan is key to finding lung cancer early, when more treatment options are available and the chances of survival are higher.

In fact, survival rates are five times higher when lung cancer is detected early, but most cases are not diagnosed until later stages. The new availability of screening for those at high risk can save lives and turn the tide against lung cancer. Approximately half of those considered high risk for lung cancer are former smokers, but many former smokers don’t realize they may still be at risk. It’s important for both smokers and former smokers to speak with their doctor about screening options.

New Campaign Seeks to Save Lives

To help current and former smokers learn more about screening, the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative and the Ad Council created the “Saved By The Scan” campaign. “Saved By The Scan” aims to raise awareness of the benefits of early detection through lung cancer screening and drive high-risk individuals to take an online lung cancer screening eligibility quiz. After all, if only half of the high-risk population were screened, more than 15,000 lives could be saved.

Those eligible for screening include anyone age 55 to 80 who is a former smoker and who quit in the last 15 years, and who has at least 30 “pack years” smoking history (that is, smoked a pack a day for 30 years, two packs for 15 years, or any combination of years and packs that comes to 30).

The campaign features a television spot directed by Academy Award nominee Rodrigo Prieto and shows a person climbing an enormous mountain of cigarettes, symbolic of the effort it took to overcome smoking addiction and the hundreds of thousands of cigarettes smoked. After conquering the addiction, the protagonist has proactively taken the extra step to get screened for lung cancer, which is punctuated by the tagline: “You stopped smoking. Now start screening.”

The American Lung Association has been improving lung health for more than 110 years and is the No. 1 organization associated with the fight against lung cancer.

Learn More

To take the quiz, go to www.SavedByTheScan.org. For additional facts on healthy lungs, including tips on how to quit smoking and information on how to help others, visit Lung.org or call (800) LUNG-USA.