Lung cancer screening pilot in Oshawa helps long-time smokers find cancer earlier

By: Dr. John Dickie, Chief of Surgery and Head of Thoracic Surgery at Lakeridge Health

In Ontario, lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women because it is often found at a later stage, when treatment options are limited. Now there is a screening test that can find lung cancer early in people who are at high risk for getting lung cancer, when the cancer may be smaller and easier to treat. 

I'm proud to say that Lakeridge Health has been chosen by Cancer Care Ontario to be one of three hospitals in Ontario to pilot this screening test.

Cancer screening is when you get checked for a disease, even though you may feel healthy and have no symptoms.  Common screening programs include mammograms that look for breast cancer and fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) for colon cancer screening.

As Chief of Surgery and Head of Thoracic Surgery at Lakeridge Health, I know what a great opportunity this is for long time smokers in Durham Region and beyond.  Studies show that regular screening can lower your chance of dying of lung cancer by 20 per cent because the cancer is found earlier, before people show any symptoms.  To put it simply, participating in this program could save your life.  We are very lucky to have this pilot in our community.

The high risk lung cancer screening program is for people:

• Who are 55 to 74 years old
• Have smoked cigarettes daily for at least 20 years in total
• You do not need to be current smokers to participate in screening

Participating is easy. Screening includes a low-dose CT scan and access to smoking cessation programs. The scan only takes a few minutes,  is not painful and gives much less radiation than a regular CT scan.  Patients are welcome to bring a friend or family member with them for support.

To find out if you qualify for high risk lung cancer screening, contact your doctor or call our screening pilot program at 905-576-8711 ext. 4449.

You should only get screened with a low-dose CT scan if you are at high risk of getting lung cancer because you have smoked cigarettes for many years. People who are not at high risk of getting lung cancer should not get screened as there may be more risks than benefits for them.

Up to 85% of lung cancers are caused by smoking cigarettes. We know that quitting smoking is the best way to lower your chance of getting lung cancer.  If you do not qualify for the pilot program but would like information on quitting smoking, you can contact Smoker's Helpline by calling 1-877-513-5333 or visiting www.SmokersHelpline.ca.  This free service provides you with a non-judgemental Quit Coach who will help you make a personalized quit plan that will help you manage cravings, withdrawal symptoms and stress, and find you support in your local community.