Screening for Lung Cancer leads to increased survival.
According to the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial, studies have shown
that lung cancer deaths can be reduced by 20% when at-risk individuals
participate in a lung CT screening program that offers a multidisciplinary
approach to the diagnosis and follow up of abnormal scans.
Early detection leads to increased survival.
Frederick Health offers a lung CT cancer screening program to identifies
individuals who are at increased risk of developing lung cancer. This
screening allows your healthcare team to develop appropriate follow-up
care based on your results.
Who is eligible for the program?
You are eligible to participate in the Frederick Health Lung Cancer Screening
Program if:
- You are a current or former smoker who smoked at least 30 pack years
- and you are between 55 - 77 years old
How do you calculate pack years?
To calculate how many pack years you have smoked, multiply the number of
packs of cigarettes you smoked per day by the number of years you smoked.
For example:
- One pack per day X 30 years = 30 pack years
- Two packs per day X 15 years = 30 pack years
What does the screening cost?
For eligible patients, there is no cost associated with the test.
If you have specific questions about whether your particular insurance
plan covers any of the cost of the lung cancer screening CT, you should
personally contact your individual insurance carrier before having the
screening CT performed.
The Affordable Care Act requires that all insurers, both government and
private, cover approved screening exams at no cost to the patient. Low
Dose Lung CT Screening was approved by the U.S. Preventative Services
Task Force in 2014. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved
coverage in February of 2015.
Who is not eligible for the program?
You are not eligible to participate in the program if you are having any
of the following symptoms:
- Hoarseness
- Coughing up blood
- Chest pain
- Severe shortness of breath
- Unintentional weight loss
If you are experiencing any of the listed symptoms, please see your primary
care provider.
What happens to my results?
You and your primary care provider will each receive a copy of the results
and recommendations based on your screening.
A multidisciplinary team of radiologists and thoracic surgeons will review
all positive CT lung scans.
Answers to your questions are just a phone call away.
To learn more about our Low Dose Lung CT Screening Program located at the
James M Stockman Cancer Institute, you can
review FAQ’s or call
301-694-LUNG (5864).
Learn more about
Center for Chest Disease
Screening Post card
Patient FAQ
Brochure