CGH Medical Center encouraging at-risk residents to get screened Saturday for lung cancer

STERLING — CGH Medical Center is encouraging people to be proactive with their health by participating in National Lung Cancer Screening Day.

CGH will hold a lung-screening event from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at 100 E. LeFevre Road in Sterling. Screenings require an appointment and a physician’s order.

According to the National Cancer Institute, lung cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer and claims the lives of over 125,000 Americans each year. The institute’s National Lung Screening Trial discovered that low-dose computed tomography scans can lower lung cancer mortality by 20% among individuals at high risk. Risk factors for lung cancer include:

• First-hand smoking.
• Second-hand smoke.
• Exposure to radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas resulting from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rocks and the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.
• Exposure to asbestos and other cancer-causing agents.
• Air pollution.
• A personal or family history of lung cancer.

Those eligible to receive a low-dose lung cancer screening include:

• Individuals 50 to 80 years old.
• Those with no signs or symptoms of lung cancer.
• Current smokers or those who have quit in the past 15 years.
• Individuals with a history of smoking at least 20 packs of cigarettes per year.

While screenings are not free, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services covers lung-cancer screenings for eligible individuals ages 50 to 77 who are enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid. Many private insurances also cover lung cancer screenings for eligible individuals but participants should consult their insurance company prior to scheduling a screening appointment.

Call 815-625-3610 to schedule a screening or for more information.