Low-dose CT screenings available at Ascension Sacred Heart Bay
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to prioritize your lung health. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer in the United States, with more than 225,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Because lung cancer often develops without early symptoms, it is frequently diagnosed in advanced stages when it is harder to treat.
However, new screening technologies are changing that narrative. For high-risk individuals, a simple low-dose CT screening may result in a 20% increase in lung cancer survival rates by catching the disease early.
The Local Impact
Tobacco smoking is the most important risk factor for the disease, causing about 9 out of 10 cases of lung cancer in men and 8 out of 10 cases in women. With nearly 25% of adults in our area identifying as current smokers1 and nearly 27% as former smokers2, proactive screening is our most powerful tool for early intervention.
Despite these risks, less than a quarter of adults in Florida have utilized a CT lung cancer screening3. Here in Bay County, rates of lung cancer diagnosis are more than 13 points higher than the state average4, and concerningly, nearly 69% of local cases are diagnosed in advanced stages5, a rate that is marked as being statistically significantly different from the statewide rate.
What to Expect: Fast, Painless, and Non-Invasive
During a low-dose CT scan, an X-ray generating device rotates around your body to create detailed images of your lungs. The scan is completely non-invasive, takes only a few minutes to complete, and aims to help find cancer early when it is most treatable. By the time physical symptoms appear, the cancer may have already begun to spread beyond the lungs.
Who Should Be Screened?
Low-dose CT scans are recommended for adults who are at a higher risk of developing lung cancer because of their smoking history and age. Current guidelines recommend yearly lung cancer screening, when clinically appropriate, for people who meet all of the following criteria:
- Are between 50 and 80 years old.
- Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years.
- Have a 20 “pack-year” or more smoking history.
What is a Pack-Year?
A pack-year is the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day times the number of years smoking. Example: Someone who smoked one pack per day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years has a 20-pack-year smoking history.
Take the Next Step This November
Don’t wait for symptoms to appear. Lung cancer screening is available locally at Sacred Heart Bay Diagnostic Imaging, facilitating access to care so people living in the area don’t have to drive far to get the screening they need.
To learn if you qualify or to schedule your lung cancer screening, call 850-416-LUNG. Our team can help you navigate the scheduling process and connect you with a clinician for the required screening order. To find out more, visit Ascension.org/SacredHeartLung. ____________________
- Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida Department of Health Division of Community Health Promotion. 2022 county-level data pulled from FLHealthCharts.gov.
- Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida Department of Health Division of Community Health Promotion. 2022 county-level data pulled from FLHealthCharts.gov.
- Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida Department of Health Division of Community Health Promotion. 2024 state-level data pulled from FLHealthCharts.gov.
- University of Miami (FL) Medical School, Florida Cancer Data System. 3-Year Discrete county-level data (2021-2023) pulled from FLHealthCharts.gov.
- University of Miami (FL) Medical School, Florida Cancer Data System. 3-Year Discrete county-level data (2021-2023) pulled from FLHealthCharts.gov.
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