(NAPSI)—So, you’ve stopped smoking. Congratulations! Take a
deep breath and thank yourself for reducing your risk of lung cancer, the No.
1 cancer killer of both men and women.
What To Do Now
Take the next step. According to the experts at the American Lung
Association, for some quitting is only half the battle. Speak to your doctor
to see if you might qualify for lung cancer screening. A low-dose CT scan is
key to finding lung cancer early, when more treatment options are available
and the chances of survival are higher.
In fact, survival rates are five times higher when lung cancer is detected
early, but most cases are not diagnosed until later stages. The new
availability of screening for those at high risk can save lives and turn the
tide against lung cancer. Approximately half of those considered high risk
for lung cancer are former smokers, but many former smokers don’t
realize they may still be at risk. It’s important for both smokers and
former smokers to speak with their doctor about screening options.
New Campaign Seeks to Save Lives
To help current and former smokers learn more about screening, the
American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative and the Ad Council
created the “Saved By The Scan” campaign. “Saved By The
Scan” aims to raise awareness of the benefits of early detection
through lung cancer screening and drive high-risk individuals to take an
online lung cancer screening eligibility quiz. After all, if only half of the
high-risk population were screened, more than 15,000 lives could be saved.
Those eligible for screening include anyone age 55 to 80 who is a former
smoker and who quit in the last 15 years, and who has at least 30 “pack
years” smoking history (that is, smoked a pack a day for 30 years, two
packs for 15 years, or any combination of years and packs that comes to 30).
The campaign features a television spot directed by Academy Award nominee
Rodrigo Prieto and shows a person climbing an enormous mountain of
cigarettes, symbolic of the effort it took to overcome smoking addiction and
the hundreds of thousands of cigarettes smoked. After conquering the
addiction, the protagonist has proactively taken the extra step to get
screened for lung cancer, which is punctuated by the tagline: “You
stopped smoking. Now start screening.”
The American Lung Association has been improving lung health for more than
110 years and is the No. 1 organization associated with the fight against
lung cancer.
Learn More
To take the quiz, go to www.SavedByTheScan.org.
For additional facts on healthy lungs, including tips on how to quit smoking
and information on how to help others, visit Lung.org or call (800) LUNG-USA.
On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)