August 1 was World Lung Cancer Day, and Aspirus Health is on a mission to educate anyone with a strong smoking history just how important lung cancer screenings can be.

Dr. Christopher Peterson, a Board-certified oncologist at Aspirus Cancer Care, recommends a lung cancer screening, which includes a low-dose CT scan, for those with a significant smoking history. In general, this includes:

• Current or former smokers (quit in the last 15 years)
• Ages 50-77 (80 for private insurance)
• More than 20 pack years (smoking one pack a day for 20 years, or the equivalent)
• No existing symptoms of lung cancer such as coughing blood or chest pain

“A low-dose CT scan is a very painless thing,” explains Peterson. He adds, “It’s also very quick.”

“Low-dose CT scans can find very small cancers on the lungs that otherwise wouldn’t have been detectable,” explains Peterson. “We can now find them very early, before any symptoms are present, so we can remove them at a very early stage. When we’re able to identify cancers earlier, we’re more often able to cure those cancers,” he explains.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.

Britta Wolter, Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber at Aspirus Cancer Care, reinforces the importance of lung cancer screenings. “In my own work, I’ve seen low-dose CT scans simply save lives.”

For more information, call an Aspirus Nurse Navigator at 715-847-2284, or contact your primary care provider to see if you qualify for lung cancer screening.