To increase screening rates, the cancer center helped host a Lung Cancer Screening Day at the new 48X Complex on the first Saturday in November. The screenings gave patients access outside of normal work hours to receive a potentially life-saving low-dose CT lung cancer scan. Nearly a dozen people took advantage of the screening day that helped mark Lung Cancer Awareness Month at UC Davis Health.
Lung cancer remains the No. 1 cause of cancer death. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than colon, breast and prostate cancers combined.
Low-dose CT scans are quick, non-invasive and use a minimal amount of radiation — far less than a standard CT scan. If caught early, lung cancer can be cured. However, only 16% of Americans who should be screened for lung cancer based on their risk factors are actually getting scanned. California’s lung cancer screening rate of just under 14% is considered “below average” according to the American Lung Association.
“Early-stage lung cancer has no symptoms,” said UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Physician-in-Chief David Tom Cooke, who is also founding chief of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery. “Awareness and early detection are the keys to tackling this deadly disease together. People who have a history of smoking should talk to their doctor about getting a low-dose CT scan.”
