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| Countless veterans serving in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War were exposed to the potent herbicide, Agent Orange, which has been linked to many deadly maladies, including lung cancer. |
INDIANAPOLIS
– No one better than a military veteran understands the potentially grim
consequences of going into harm’s way. And sometimes those dangers do not
manifest until long after he or she trades in their uniform for civilian
clothes.
This
November, in honor of American veterans and in observance of Lung Cancer
Awareness Month, Franciscan St. Francis Health is offering free lung scans to
at-risk veterans all month long.
Lung cancer
is the leading cause of cancer death nationally and causes more deaths than
breast, prostate and colon cancers combined.
Veterans have a 25-50 percent higher risk of lung cancer than civilian
populations due to higher smoking rates and exposure to known carcinogens
during active duty, such as Agent Orange, asbestos and battlefield
combustibles.
According to
the Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA), currently 32.2 percent of active duty
military personnel smoke versus 19.8 percent of adults in the civilian
population and 22 percent of veterans.
“As a lung cancer screening center, we believe
it’s important that we provide safe screenings to at-risk populations,” said
Nadeem Ikhlaque, MD, lung cancer program medical director at Franciscan St. Francis Cancer Center. “Risk assessment and early detection
of lung cancer are especially crucial for veterans as they have a significantly
higher risk of the disease than the civilian population.”
While lung
cancer may take decades to develop, symptoms do not usually occur until the
cancer has progressed into late stages where survival rates are diminished. Screening
those at high risk with low-dose CT scans can identify lung cancer at an early
and most curable stage even before symptoms occur.
Franciscan
St. Francis Health is among 14 medical centers nationally – and the only
hospital in Indiana – to participate in the free screenings initiative, which
is spearheaded by LCA and the Vietnam Veterans of America.
To qualify
for the free screening, you must be between the ages of 55 and 75, a long-time
smoker and veteran of U.S. armed forces. Appointments can be scheduled by
calling 1-877-888-1777.
“Screening
for lung cancer using low-dose radiation CT scans has the potential to save
thousands of lives,” said Ikhlaque. “We encourage all veterans to learn more
about their risk and to consider a lung screening.”
