AMI and Congressman LoBiondo Team Up to Fight Lung Cancer
In an effort to raise awareness of the importance of early detection of lung cancer, Congressman Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02) underwent a low dose CT lung screening on June 12, 2012 at Atlantic Medical Imaging in Galloway Township. Low dose CT lung screening represents a breakthrough new tool in the fight against lung cancer.
A former smoker in his twenties, the Congressman was eager to demonstrate the new procedure, which was performed by Dr. David Levi of AMI.
Today, 85% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States will die from it within five years. With over 160,000 deaths per year, lung cancer has become the number one cancer killer in America, claiming more lives than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined.
AMI is hoping to alter those statistics with early detection. Low dose CT lung screenings of high-risk patients can detect lung cancers in their earliest stage, when up to 92% can be cured.
“Early detection of cancer improves patient outcomes and saves lives,” said Robert M. Glassberg, M.D., president and CEO of Atlantic Medical Imaging. “A low dose CT scan offers more hope for the early detection of lung cancer than we’ve ever had. In the recent National Lung Screening Trial, the National Cancer Institute concluded that annual CT screenings in high risk individuals resulted in a 20 percent reduction in mortality compared with conventional x-ray screening.”
AMI is one of a select few facilities nation-wide to offer this state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging. The vast majority of the others are large university medical centers in major metropolitan cities.
CT lung screening is a noninvasive procedure that uses low-dose x-rays to screen the lungs for cancer in just 10 seconds. The CT scan is a painless procedure in which a special computerized tomography imaging machine rotates rapidly around the body, taking more than 100 pictures in sequence.
“The scan is so sensitive that we can detect nodules that are too small to be seen on a conventional chest x-ray, which makes it an excellent tool in lung cancer screening,” added Dr. David Levi. “By detecting smaller malignant tumors we increase the likelihood that they are in an early stage, when the cancer is localized in the lung and more likely curable.”
The low dose CT lung screening is intended for patients 55-74 who have smoked at least one pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years or more, or at least two packs of cigarettes for 15 years or more. In addition, individuals 50-54 who have smoked at least one pack a day for 20 years and with risk factors such as a family history of lung cancer or asbestos exposure. While a CT scan can cost up to $400, for a limited time, AMI is offering the screenings at no cost for those at high risk.
The screening is performed by subspecialty-trained radiologists, and is available at all AMI office locations in Atlantic, Cape May, Ocean and Monmouth counties. Participants will need to obtain a referral from their healthcare provider.
To schedule an appointment, call (833) 823-6533.