SAN DIEGO, Oct. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- November is lung cancer awareness month and Scripps Cancer Center invites San Diego County residents to learn about lung cancer screening at a free educational event on Friday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at Scripps Medical Center Jefferson in Oceanside, Calif.
Members of the Jana Oliphant Hackett Lung Cancer Screening Program at Scripps Cancer Center will be in the facility's first-floor lobby to share information and answer questions about this important, but underutilized screening.
A recent study by the American Cancer Society (ACS) showed that less than 20% of eligible individuals in the United States were up to date with recommended lung cancer screening. Another recent report showed that less than 40% of people know that computed tomography (CT) scans are an available screening option for those at high risk for lung cancer.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends annual lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan for high-risk individuals to help detect the disease early, when treatments are often most effective. According to the USPSTF, high-risk individuals are between ages 50 and 80; have a 20 pack-year or greater smoking history (equal to smoking an average of a pack a day for 20 years); and currently smoke or have quit in the past 15 years.
According to the ACS, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. and is the second-most commonly diagnosed form of cancer. It is most often detected at a late stage, when it has already spread to other parts of the body. The ACS cites cigarette smoking as the most important risk factor for developing lung cancer.
Scripps Medical Center Jefferson is located at 2205 Vista Way, Oceanside, Calif. 92054.
