The Greater Mercer Public Health Partnership (GMPHP) is a collaboration of hospitals, health departments, the Mercer County Department of Human Services, and other not-for-profit organizations whose mission is to measurably improve the health of residents of the Greater Mercer County community.
Lung screening is easy.
When you participate in the low-dose CT lung cancer screening at RWJUH Hamilton, you will experience a comprehensive approach to assessment and treatment, if you need it. In addition, RWJUH Hamilton’s Lung Screening Program offers opportunities to become proactive in living a healthier lifestyle, including the Tobacco Dependence Program, a tobacco cessation program.
Do you qualify for a low-dose CT lung cancer screening?
Medicare and Medicaid patients must meet the following criteria for their screenings to be covered. Most private insurance companies cover this procedure, as well, but patients should check with their insurance carrier for coverage details.
- 50-80 years old
- A tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack years
A pack-year is a way of calculating how much a person has smoked in their lifetime. One pack-year is equivalent of smoking 20 cigarettes – 1 pack – per day for a year. - A current smoker or former smoker who has quit in the last 15 years, has no symptoms of lung cancer and has not had a chest CT scan within the past 12 months
- Screening should stop once a person has not smoked for 15 years or has a health problem that limits life expectancy or the ability to have lung surgery.
What are your next steps?
Talk to your health care provider about:
- Your risk for lung cancer.
- How you can quit smoking, if you still smoke.
- The possible benefits, limits and harms of lung cancer screening.
Call RWJUH Hamilton at 609-584-6400 after obtaining a prescription from your physician to make an appointment for your lung screening.
