Dignity Health Merced | helloHealthy | Spring 2019

HelloHealthy | Spring 2019 5 LUNG CANCER SCREENING Is this test right for you? If you smoke now or used to smoke a lot in the past, you might want to ask your doctor about getting screened for lung cancer at Dignity Health – Mercy Medical Center. Having a history of smoking puts you at higher risk for lung cancer, which usually doesn’t cause symptoms until it has reached a stage that is difficult to treat. But screening with a low-dose CT scan can help find lung cancer early—when your chances of surviving the disease are best. “There are better treatment options when lung cancer is found early,” says Minerva Silveira, BSN, RN, Nurse Manager, Mercy UC Davis Cancer Center. Who is eligible? You might be a candidate for lung cancer screening if you: ●  ● Are age 55 to 80 and in fairly good health. ●  ● Are a current smoker. ●  ● Are a former smoker who has quit within the past 15 years. ●  ● Have smoked the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years. Talk to your primary care doctor to find out if lung cancer screening is right for you. If you are a candidate, your doctor will first talk to you about ways to quit smoking (if you still smoke) and about the possible risks of lung cancer screening. A breath of fresh air: A lung cancer screening could save your life, or the life of someone you love. And now, it’s covered by most insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Get started at dignityhealth .org/lungscreening . Make a fresh start Are you ready to stop smoking? We can help you succeed with our Fresh Start smoking cessation program. Classes in this free, four-week programmeet one hour each week. You’ll receive free smoking cessation patches, along with other helpful resources for quitting. For more information, or to enroll in one of our 2019 sessions, call 209.564.3669 .