Lung Cancer Screening Program for Early Detection
Atrium Health Floyd aims to find lung cancer early — when it’s most treatable. Our Lung Cancer Screening Program screens patients who are at high risk for lung cancer and connects them to advanced, comprehensive care if cancer is found.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, for men and women. Often signs or symptoms don’t develop until lung cancer reaches an advanced stage, when it spreads to other parts of the body — and is more difficult to cure.
Whether you’re wondering if you should be screened, want to schedule an appointment or just have a few questions, our team is here for you.
Find out if a lung cancer screening is right for you. Take the eligibility quiz.
Why Choose Atrium Health Floyd?
You can count on our team for leading expertise. We are:
- A designated Lung Cancer Screening Center by the American College of Radiology for providing top-quality standards and requirements for lung cancer screening
- Recognized as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons
- Committed to giving you personalized care at every step, from your pre-screening appointment to your lung scan and any follow-up care you may need
Find Out What to Expect
About Lung Cancer Screenings
What is a Lung Screening?
Lung cancer screening is quick and painless. We use a low-dose CT (LDCT) scan to take a detailed 3D picture of your lungs, using a small amount of radiation (up to 90% less than a conventional CT scan).
The lung CT scan may show normal, healthy lung tissue. Or it may show a small, round growth (nodule) or other findings like emphysema (a lung condition that causes shortness of breath). Any abnormal findings will be carefully reviewed by our expert team, and a diagnosis and treatment plan will be developed when needed.
What are the Benefits of Lung Cancer Screening?
The main benefit of screening is that it reduces the risk of dying from lung cancer. Screenings can find lung cancer early, before any signs or symptoms appear – and when it's more likely to be treatable.
More Frequently Asked Questions
Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines
Experts recommend yearly screenings for people with a high risk of lung cancer. Your risk for lung cancer depends on your age and smoking history.
You may be eligible for lung screening if you:
- Are 50 to 80 years old
- Smoked cigarettes in the last 15 years
- Have a 20 pack year smoking history, for example:
- smoked 1 pack of cigarettes per day for 20 years or more
- smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day for 10 years or more
- smoked 1/2 pack per day for 40 years or more
Still not sure if you're eligible?
Take a short quiz to find out. Or schedule your pre-screening appointment by calling
706-509-LUNG (706-509-5864).
Patient Care — What to Expect
We offer the latest approaches in screening, diagnosing and treating lung cancer. Here’s what you can expect from our team of specialists.
Your primary care doctor can review your smoking history and help you understand if screening is right for you. If you qualify for screening, your primary care doctor will place a referral for you and you will be contacted by a scheduling specialist to help you arrange your screening appointment. Don’t have a primary care provider?
Find an Atrium Health Floyd doctor today.
During Your Screening Appointment
You’ll show up for your scheduled appointment at one of our hospital locations. After you check in, you will meet with a nurse practitioner who will review your smoking history and discuss smoking cessation options and tools if you’re ready to quit. Additionally, they will explain the benefits and risks of low-dose CT scans, how you will get your results and any next steps you might need to take after your screening test is completed.
After meeting with the nurse practitioner, you will be taken to have your CT scan. You’ll lie down on the CT table, which will slide in and out of a large donut-shaped scanner. The scan is painless and quick. You should be on the table for less than five minutes.
Getting Your Results
Your screening results will be posted to your MyAtriumHealth account. Your provider may share your results with you over the phone as well. Don't have a MyAtriumHealth account? Sign up now.
Next Steps if a Lung Nodule is Detected
When we see a lung nodule or anything that looks abnormal on an imaging scan, we’ll investigate to determine next steps, which may include:
- Monitoring with follow-up low-dose CT scans
- Reviewing the lung nodule with our multidisciplinary team of experts to guide next steps
- Determining if the nodule is cancerous using advanced diagnostic, minimally invasive techniques
If Lung Cancer Treatment is Needed
Whether caught in the early stages or late, we’ll connect you to the highest-quality
lung cancer treatment at Atrium Health Floyd. Depending on your case, you may undergo minimally invasive thoracic surgery to have a lung nodule removed, which is the most common treatment for early-stage lung cancer. Or you may receive nonsurgical treatment, like targeted radiation therapy.
Personalized Care
To develop the very best care plan for you, we tap into the combined expertise of a range of specialists, which may include radiologists, pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, screening navigators, oncologists and radiation oncologists. Working as one team, we come up with the most effective plan for your unique case. We also take the time to listen to your thoughts and concerns and make sure you're involved in decisions about your care.
Insurance Coverage
Most major insurance plans and Medicare do cover lung cancer screening, though some have different requirements for screenings to be covered. For instance, some plans like Medicare may only cover screening for ages 50 to 77. To understand cost and coverage, contact your insurance provider.
Help to Quit Smoking
If you’re still smoking and are ready to quit, an
Atrium Health Floyd primary care provider can help. Your provider can prescribe medication to manage your urges, identify your smoking triggers and help you come up with a plan to quit. If you have questions, call
706-509-LUNG (706-509-5864).
Find a Location
We have multiple lung cancer screening locations. Call your
primary care provider or
706-509-LUNG (706-509-5864) for more information about how to schedule at one of the locations below.
