The BC Lung Cancer Screening Program is available to people 55 to 74 who have smoked for 20 years or more. (Boaz Joseph / Black Press)
BC extending lung cancer screening for prior diagnosis
CT scan for elderly people who have been smoking for a long time
The BC government is expanding its lung cancer screening program to 36 locations across the province, using existing CT scanners to check people aged 55 to 74 who have smoked for at least 20 years.
Patients who meet these criteria can call the Department of Health’s lung screening program at 1-877-717-5864 to complete a consultation and risk assessment to determine if they are eligible for screening, which will be available by 5 p.m. regional health authorities. The goal is to get an early diagnosis of people at risk before they have symptoms.
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Canada and around the world,” Dr. Stephen Lam of BC Cancer said on May 25. “In BC, seven people die of lung cancer every day. With 70% of all cases diagnosed at an advanced stage, the lung screening program aims to reverse this trend by detecting most lung cancers at an early stage when treatment is more effective “.
The lung screening program is expected to begin examining about 10,000 patients in the first full year of operation, which is expected to increase by about 15 percent per year. It is estimated that the program will diagnose approximately 150 cases of lung cancer per year, with more than 75% of these diagnosed at an earlier stage than without screening.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said on Wednesday that BC is the first province in Canada to have cancer screening across the province. More information about the program is available here.
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