Your lungs perform essential functions necessary for your survival. Without healthy lungs, getting oxygenated blood distributed to your cells or removing waste from them is challenging. Consequently, respiratory illnesses can cause critical health issues, including sepsis.
Lung cancer is one of the most severe respiratory diseases affecting people today. Every year, 1.76 million people around the globe die from lung cancer, making it the most deadly form of cancer.
A preventative medical scan is an effective way to detect lung cancer. Medical imaging technology allows doctors to identify and locate growths. Booking a lung cancer screening in Las Vegas ensures you get clear answers about your respiratory system so you can be confident in your health or get the treatment you need to beat lung cancer.
Book your CT scan.
What Are The Early Signs Of Lung Cancer That Warrant Screening?
You should schedule a lung cancer screening near your location if you have symptoms of lung cancer. Lung cancer symptoms include the following:
- Chest pain
- Coughing up blood
- Difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Persistent or worsening cough
- Unexplained weight loss
Recurring pneumonia can also be a symptom and a reason you should schedule a lung cancer screening.
At What Age Should You Start Considering Lung Cancer Screening?
Once you reach the age of 50, you should consider scheduling a preventative medical scan near you to check for lung cancer. Medical professionals stress the importance of lung cancer screenings for those 50 and up who are or were smokers; however, other factors may justify scheduling preventative health scans. Suppose you live in an area with poor air quality or work in a field that exposes you to carcinogens. In that case, you have a higher risk of developing lung cancer, even if you never smoked.
What Risk Factors Increase The Need For Early Lung Cancer Screening?
Lung cancer risk factors include the following:
- Air pollution
- Genetics
- Poor diet
- Radiation therapy
- Smoking
You also have a greater risk of developing lung cancer if you’ve had exposure to the following:
- Arsenic
- Asbestos
- Chromium
- Nickel
- Radon
- Silica
How Does Family History Impact The Timing Of Lung Cancer Screening?
The chances of someone with a family history of the disease getting lung cancer are double the chances of someone without a family history. If you have a family history of this disease, you should get a lung cancer screening to confirm your health status. While it may be possible to wait until you’re 50, you should consider an earlier screening if you have exposure to other risk factors.
How Often Should Lung Cancer Screening Be Performed?
Those over the age of 50 with one or more risk factors should schedule an annual lung cancer screening.
What Are The Potential Risks And Benefits Of Early Lung Cancer Screening?
Low-dose CT scans do pose the risk of limited radiation exposure, which is a risk factor for lung cancer. The risk is low since CT scans are short and the exposure is within acceptable limits.
It is also possible for you to receive a false positive from a CT scan. A biopsy or other medical tests may be needed to confirm you have lung cancer.
Lung cancer screening benefits include early treatment and survival. Preventative screenings are credited with increasing survival rates by 20%.
How Can Early Screening Impact Lung Cancer Treatment Outcomes?
Early screening allows medical professionals to diagnose lung cancer before symptoms appear. Early detection means prompt treatment during the stages when treatments are most effective, increasing the likelihood of a full recovery.
What Lifestyle Changes Reduce The Need For Early Lung Cancer Screening?
Although there’s nothing you can do about your family medical history, there are many things you can do to reduce your risk of getting lung cancer. The primary way to reduce your risk of the disease and the need for early lung cancer screening is to stop smoking and avoid exposure to second-hand smoke.
You’ll also reduce your risk of lung cancer by avoiding exposure to known carcinogens such as asbestos, arsenic, and radon.
Eating healthy cancer-fighting foods, such as berries, fruits, vegetables, salmon, and nuts, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of lung cancer.
What Should You Do If You Receive A Positive Lung Cancer Screening Result?
You should discuss your lung cancer screening results with your primary care physician. You may need a biopsy, sputum cytology, or another diagnostic test to confirm your lung cancer diagnosis.
Your physician may refer you to a pulmonologist to develop a treatment plan. Common treatments include the following:
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Surgery
What Types Of Lung Cancer Screening Tests Are Available?
Low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans are effective medical imaging scans used to detect lung cancer in its earliest stages. These preventative medical scans have the benefit of being low risk while giving a clear image of what’s happening inside your lungs, allowing medical professionals to identify tumors in their earliest stages.
CT scans don’t take long; your medical appointment should take approximately a quarter of an hour. You should receive your results a week after your scan. At Preventative Diagnostic Center, you do not need a doctor’s referral to access preventative scans to ensure you get the diagnosis and treatment you need.
Schedule your CT scan.
Sources:
Kumar, K. (2023). What Are the Most Serious Lung Diseases?
Learning About How the Lungs Work. (2022).
Lung Cancer Risk Factors. (2024).
Lung Cancer Screening. (2024).
Sepsis. (2023).
