The Villager Newspaper Online Your Community News – Cleveland's Westshore
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and Mercy Health is using this time to highlight lung cancer screening guidelines.
Last year, the American Cancer Society released new guidelines for lung cancer screenings to reduce lung cancer deaths caused by smoking. These guidelines recommend yearly lung cancer screenings for those aged 50-80 years old who smoke or formerly smoked and have a 20-year or greater pack-year history. A pack-year is defined as smoking one pack of cigarettes a day for one year. The guidelines no longer require the “years since quitting” measurement that was once part of the recommendations.
“Approximately 80-90% of lung cancer deaths in the United States can be attributed to cigarette smoking. It is the number one risk factor for lung cancer, which is why it is so important for smokers to get regular screenings,” said Dr. Rami Abboud, Mercy Health – Lorain pulmonologist. “These expanded guidelines make it more likely that we can find lung cancer earlier, and thereby reduce lung cancer deaths.”
Early detection is key to improving health outcomes for those with a cancer diagnosis.
Regular lung cancer screenings are an essential tool used to diagnose cancer early and prevent deaths from the disease.
“Often people with lung cancer will not experience symptoms until the cancer has become too large to remove in its entirety or it’s spread to other parts of the body. The importance of screenings cannot be emphasized enough as they can find cancers before a patient is symptomatic. Anyone who qualifies for annual screenings based on the recommended guidelines should talk to their primary care provider about their screening options,” added Dr. Abboud.
To learn more about the ACS guidelines, click here.
To learn more about Mercy Health’s pulmonology and oncology services, visit mercy.com.
About Mercy Health – Lorain
Mercy Health – Lorain is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry’s quality, compassionate care is provided by more than 60,000 associates serving communities in Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Mercy Health – Lorain is a full-service, not-for-profit, integrated health care system, which has been providing quality health care to Lorain County and surrounding communities for more than 125 years. The health system provides inpatient, outpatient and ancillary services through its two hospitals, Mercy Health – Lorain Hospital and Mercy Health – Allen Hospital in Oberlin; Mercy Health Physicians; and specialized facilities, including the Mercy Health – Cancer Center and Mercy Health – Outpatient Rehabilitation and Therapy. The mission of Mercy Health – Lorain is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. For more information, visit Mercy Health online at www.mercy.com.
