When it comes to cancer, it’s important to remember that the earlier the diagnosis, the better the outcome. That’s why Mercy Health’s hospitals and imaging centers are participating in National Lung Cancer Screening Day on Saturday, November 12, 2022.
The Saturday screening is intended to make it easier for people who may otherwise have to take a day off work to have a potentially lifesaving lung cancer screening. Mercy Health’s participating locations include:
Anderson Hospital, 7500 State Road, Cincinnati, OH 45255, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Clermont Hospital, 3000 Hospital Drive, Batavia, Ohio 45103, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
Eastgate Medical Center, 601 Ivy Gateway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45245, 8-11:30 a.m.
Fairfield Hospital, 3000 Mack Road, Fairfield, Ohio 45014, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Mt. Orab Medical Center, 154 Health Partners Circle, Mt. Orab, Ohio 45154, 8-11 a.m.
Rookwood Medical Center, 4101 Edwards Road, Norwood, Ohio 45209, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
The Jewish Hospital, 4777 E Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
West Hospital, 3300 Mercy Health Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45211, 8-11 a.m.
Talk with your doctor to determine if a screening is appropriate for you. Lung screenings are available with a doctor’s order. Ask your doctor to call Mercy Health at 95-MERCY (513-956-3729) to schedule a lung screening low-dose CT scan. The scan generally takes about 30 minutes. After your scan, Mercy Health will notify you and the ordering physician of the results.
Today, more people than ever quality for a low dose computed tomography lung screening thanks to the US Preventive Services Task Force, which in 2021 lowered the starting age for an annual screening from 55 to 50 years and reduced the tobacco smoking history from a 30 pack-year history to a 20 pack-year history. People who have smoked one pack of cigarettes every day for the last 20 years or two packs a day for the last 10 years have a 20 pack-year history.
If you are 50 or older, have a history of smoking over 20 years and if you currently smoke or quit within the last 15 years, you may benefit from an annual lung cancer screening. Using a CT scan, a radiologist can detect lung nodules that may be cancerous. Detecting lung cancer early can provide better health outcomes for patients. Talk with your physician about lung cancer screening.
The American Lung Association’s 2021 “State of Lung Cancer” report shows that Ohio still has a long way to go to improve the prospects of patients with lung cancer:
The smoking rate in Ohio remains well above the national average
Ohio still has more cases of lung cancer and below average survival rates for patients diagnosed with the disease when compared with national averages
The rate of new lung cancer cases among Blacks in Ohio is significantly higher than the rate among Blacks nationally and significantly higher than the rate among Whites in Ohio
Only seven percent of Ohioans at high risk for lung cancer have a lung cancer screening
Less than a quarter of Ohioans with lung cancer get a diagnosis of their disease at its earliest, most treatable stage
If you currently smoke, Mercy Health offers quit smoking/vaping classes that can help you break the habit and lower you risk for developing lung cancer. Visit mercy.com for details on quit smoking/vaping classes.
National Lung Cancer Screening Day is supported by the American College of Radiology, the National Lung Cancer Roundtable, the Go2Foundation and the Radiology Healthy Equity Coalition.