Lung cancer screening is now available in Maple Ridge.
The free service is offered by BC Cancer, through the Provincial Health Services Authority, at Ridge Meadows Hospital, for eligible people who are at a high risk of lung cancer and who are not experiencing any symptoms.
According to BC Cancer, lung screening can provide at-risk individuals early detection which may result in improved survival rates, as up to 75 per cent of lung cancers found by screening will be early stage compared to less than 30 per cent without screening.
Lung screening involves taking a picture of a person’s lungs with a low-dose CT scan that can identify cancer at the earliest stages, when five-year survival is 80 per cent or more.
Those who may be eligible must be between 55 to 74 years old, and have a significant history of regularly smoking commercial tobacco, either in the past or currently.
Screening is not available for anyone experiencing symptoms including: coughing that does not go away or gets worse; coughing up blood or rust-coloured phlegm; or shortness of breath or chest pain that is always felt and gets worse with deep breathing or coughing.
A person experiencing any of these symptoms should speak with a health care provider right away, including at a walk-in clinic or by calling 811 and speaking with a health service navigator.
For more information and to confirm eligibility, call the Lung Screening Program at 1-877-717-5864 to complete a consultation and risk assessment.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Canada and worldwide, noted BC Cancer, and seven people die of lung cancer every day across the province.
Lung screening can help find cancer in its early stages, when there are more options for successful treatment.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a time to remember to be proactive about your health, said BC Cancer, noting that screening is easy, effective and painless.
To learn more go to: https://www.bccancer.bc.ca/.