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Valley Offers Free Screening For Lung Cancer Awareness Month

valley_hospital_theridgewoodblog
November 11,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Earlier this year, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that for eligible beneficiaries, annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography will be covered as an additional preventive service. The announcement made by CMS corresponds with the recommendations made by The United States Preventive Services Task Force, a government panel. The recommendations and the screening guidelines apply to current heavy smokers and to those who have quit within the last 15 years and are between 55 to 80 years old.

November is lung cancer awareness month. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women. An estimated 160,000 people die from lung cancer every year. Current and former smokers are at high risk for developing lung cancer. Many of these deaths could be prevented by following these screening guidelines, as studies have shown that treatment for lung cancer can be highly successful if the tumor is detected in its earliest stages, before there are any signs or symptoms of the disease.

The Valley Hospital is currently offering free, low-dose CT scans to those ages 55 to 80 who are eligible based on the screening guidelines. The test is painless and only takes about 15 or 20 minutes.

Request to be considered for a free screening online by clicking here, or call 201-634-5757.