CHC/SEK is helping those with an increased risk of lung cancer to identify lung cancer in its earliest stages through low-dose CT lung cancer screenings in its Fort Scott and Pittsburg locations. Both locations are accredited by the ACR (American College of Radiology) for both CT and Mammography.
You do not have to be a Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas patient to get a CT scan. With a provider’s order or self-referral, individuals who are 50-80 years old who currently smoke or stopped smoking within the last 15 years, and who have smoked the same as one pack per day for 20 years (e.g. two packs per day for 10 years, etc.) can receive a lung cancer screening.
“Low-dose CT lung cancer screenings are effective, noninvasive, and inexpensive,” said Kimberly Wass, RT, (R). “It only takes a few minutes, causes no discomfort, and exposes you to a small amount of radiation, the images obtained give us a detailed picture of the patient’s lungs and chest.”
In the United States, lung cancer accounts for approximately one-fourth of cancer-related deaths because many patients are diagnosed with advanced stages of the disease when treatment options are limited.
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, tobacco use is still one of the leading causes of preventable death, disease, and disability in the state. Almost one in four (24.6%) Kansas adults (18 years and older) use tobacco, and there are many chronic conditions related to tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.
There are additional risk factors for lung cancer, including indoor radon, a naturally occurring gas that forms in rocks, soil, and water. For more information, visit the CDC’s page on Lung Cancer Risk Factors.
Call 620-240-5050 to talk to talk to a CT technician and schedule CT Chest low dose Exams. Click here to learn more about CHC/SEK’s imaging services.