DANVILLE, Pa. — Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the United States, and according to Geisinger, it is the deadliest.
"Lung cancer is responsible for more deaths than breast plus colon plus prostate," said Dr. Matthew Facktor. chief of thoracic surgery at Geisinger.
That's why screening for lung cancer is so important. Dr. Facktor says the screening process is easy and noninvasive.
"It's only about 20 seconds or so, laying down in a big wide-open doughnut-type tester. It's not an MRI; it's not closed in. It's a CT scan, a fancy CT scan of the lungs."
People ages 50 to 80 qualify for the screening.
"Your doctor, your healthcare provider, would know the specifics, but it does take a bit of smoking to qualify."
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Lung cancer is highly linked to smoking, but anyone can get the disease. The number one way to prevent lung cancer is to quit smoking.
"Anything that you're smoking, be it tobacco or something else, that's not good. It's burning right into the lungs, even if it's a very short amount of time."
Dr. Facktor says other causes of lung cancer include radon gas, secondhand smoke, and exposure to asbestos.
More information from Geisinger about lung cancer screening is available HERE.
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