BEAUFORT, S.C. — Beaufort Memorial is pushing lung cancer screenings during Lung Cancer Awareness Month, with pulmonologist Dr. John P. Krcmarik saying early checks can catch a disease that still kills more people than almost any other cancer.
Krcmarik said lung cancer accounts for about one in five cancer cases and that more than 90 percent of cases are tied to smoking because of the carcinogens in cigarette smoke. Nicotine gums, lozenges and patches do not carry that same lung-cancer risk, he said.
Symptoms can be easy to miss, including an unexplained cough, new shortness of breath or mucus production that was never there before. Doctors recommend a low-dose CT scan for people at higher risk based on age and smoking history.
Less than 30 percent of people are diagnosed while the cancer is still in a treatable stage, which is why the hospital is urging patients to ask about screening if it has not already been offered.
Beaufort Memorial runs cancer programs focused on prevention, screening and treatment at the Keyserling Cancer Center in Beaufort and the New River Cancer Center in Okatie, including a dedicated low-dose CT lung screening pathway.
Filed under: Beaufort SC Health News
