SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (WICS) — Lung cancer screening helps detect this deadly form of cancer before symptoms appear, making treatment options more effective.

National Lung Cancer Screening Day is Saturday, November 9, and was created to raise awareness of the importance of scheduling lung cancer screenings.

“According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death in the United States,” said Kristin Perucho, nurse navigator for imaging at Springfield Memorial Hospital. “We perform low-dose lung cancer screenings at Memorial Health locations throughout the year to help combat these statistics. A lung cancer screening is essentially a low-dose chest CT scan for people who have a significant history of smoking and are therefore at higher risk of lung cancer.

Eligibility for lung screenings includes:

• Age 50 to 77 (some non-Medicare insurance covers up to age 80)
• Significant history of cigarette smoking of at least one pack per day for 20 years or more
• Current cigarette smoker or someone who has quit smoking in the last 15 years

Patients should discuss with their provider whether a lung screening is appropriate for them. Lung cancer screenings are scheduled by a patient’s provider and are covered by most insurance companies.