Lung cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers in the United States, in part because it’s often detected too late. On The Spark, UPMC Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Troy Moritz joined the show to shed light on who should be screened, what symptoms not to ignore, and how technology is changing the way lung cancer is detected and treated.

Who Should Be Screened?

Dr. Moritz emphasized the importance of lung cancer screenings for a specific group:
“We’re looking for people that are age 50 to up to 80 years of age and those people that have smoked what we consider to be 20 pack years,” he explained.
That includes anyone who smoked a pack a day for 20 years — or an equivalent amount — and hasn’t quit within the last 15 years.

These high-risk individuals are encouraged to undergo low-dose CT scans, which Dr. Moritz described as simple and noninvasive.
“It’s pretty much just get in the CAT scan machine and buzz in, buzz out,” he said. “It’s not an MRI, so you don’t have to worry about that claustrophobic feeling.”

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