Lung Cancer Screenings Offered by Two Local Hospitals

POTTSTOWN PA – Screenings for lung cancer are being offered Friday and Saturday (Nov. 8-9, 2024) by Pottstown and Phoenixville hospitals, in recognition of National Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Those interested can seek appointments for Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Pottstown Hospital Outpatient Center, 23 N. Walnut St., Boyertown. On Saturday, appointments are available from 8 a.m. to noon at the Phoenixville Hospital Outpatient Diagnostic Imaging Center, 420 W. Linfield-Trappe Rd. Bdlg. A, Limerick.

A doctor’s order also is required for each appointment, the hospitals note in a media release. To schedule an appointment for either screening day, call 1-833-348-6937. To obtain a doctor’s order, patients should contact their doctor’s office.

Lung cancer screening is a painless, low-dose CT scan that can help in early detection of lung abnormalities, the hospitals say.

Who Should Consider Lung Screening?

Persons who may want to consider receiving a lung cancer screening are those who meet all of these criteria:

• They are between ages 50 and 80;
• Are currently a smoker, or have quit smoking during the past 15 years; and
• Have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history. “A 20 pack-year smoking history is a measurement of how many cigarettes a person has smoked in their lifetime. A pack-year is calculated by multiplying the number of packs smoked per day by the number of years smoked,” the hospitals report.

“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States,” according to Dr. Frank Song, of Pottstown Hospital’s Hematology Oncology unit. “While this is a staggering statistic, it’s important to know that early detection can increase survival rates up to 90%.”

Lung cancer deaths are expected to increase dramatically during the next 20 years, the Lung Cancer Awareness Movement Coalition claims. Lung cancer deaths are projected to rise from 1.82 million people to 3.24 million by 2045. “More education, early detection, and better screening programs are needed,” it says.

Photo by Ricardo IV Tamayo on Unsplash, used by Travels With The Post under license