RMI is on a mission to save the lives of those at risk for lung cancer — here are five big reasons you should speak to your doctor about getting a low-dose CT Lung Screening today.
The Top 5 Reasons for CT Lung Screening
- You Want to Live! Simply put, lung cancer is the number one cancer killer of both men and women in the U.S. today, far surpassing the next three most lethal cancers combined (colon, breast, prostate). More than half of the people with lung cancer die within a year of diagnosis. If you are a smoker, former smoker, or at-risk candidate, you need to know your risk.
- Timing Is Absolutely Vital. As mentioned above, many with lung cancer die quickly. Catching the disease early is absolutely vital. If lung cancer is caught early enough, there is a 92% survival rate. That’s the good news. The real takeaway — if it is caught too late survival odds drop to just 15%.
- It’s Covered (if you’re symptom-free). Medicare (and many other insurances) cover CT Lung Screenings for those who meet certain criteria. Those include: age 55-76, current smoker or have quit within the last 15 years, have smoked 30 “pack years” (a pack a day for 30 years or an equivalent ratio), and have not had lung cancer nor exhibited symptoms of it.
- Get It Anyways. Even if you don’t meet the above criteria, if you are a smoker or other at-risk person, talk to your physician about CT Lung Screening. Lung cancer can strike anyone at-risk, even those who have not been exposed to industrial pollutants or stopped smoking 16 years ago. RMI offers the exam for a nominal cash price, up t0 50% less (or more) than other providers. Again, the key to survival of lung cancer is early detection.
- X-Rays Are Not Enough. Although chest x-rays are considered the standard for lung cancer screening, they simply are not enough. Their 2D images are of limited sensitivity, often missing potentially cancerous nodules less than ½ inch in size. A low-dose CT Lung Screening makes a 3D x-ray of the lungs, and can spot nodules as small as a grain of rice (2.5 mm in size). The sensitivity of the CT scan is key to earlier detection, when treatment is more effective.
Taken in total, these five reasons should help you start a conversation with your primary care physician. Take the time today to consider CT Lung Screening and make sure you are all right. Be sure to read more about CT Lung Screening today.
