Informative Essay On Lung Cancer

We all know breast cancer is detected through mammograms and colon cancer can be caught early through a regular colonoscopy. When it comes to lung cancer, which kills the most Americans, there are only a few tests. Unlike mammography and colonoscopy, not everyone has to get screened.
While lung cancer is diagnosed in people who’ve never smoked in their lives, a majority of the patients have a history of smoking. If you’ve quit smoking, you’re in much better health than if you were still lighting up. While you’re at lower risk than a current smoker, your cancer risk still remains higher than if you never started the nasty habit.
Back in 2013, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued new guidelines for who should be screened, and it covers close to nine million adults.
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A chest x-ray involves the same machine used if you break your arm. It gives doctors a look at your lungs and heart.
A LDCT scan gives your doctors a very detailed look at your lungs. It uses an x-ray machine to scan the body in a spiral path. The pictures are made by a computer linked to the x-ray machine.
With sputum cytology, doctors can look at the mucus your coughs are producing under a microscope to check for cancer cells. The American Lung Association says between the three tests, only LDCT scans reduced the risk of dying from lung cancer among high-risk patients. Chest x-ray and sputum cytology are used to check for signs of lung cancer, but do not decrease the risk of dying from it.
Dr. Patti May, one of Grace Health System’s busy primary care doctors, says the requirements for the lung screenings are relatively new. While not many people get an LDCT scan, the Grace Health System Imaging Center does have the equipment. Both current and former smokers should talk with their doctor if they need to get screened for lung