SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. ― Regional West Physicians Clinic-Pulmonology, Critical Care has teamed up with Regional West’s primary care physicians and providers, and the Regional West Imaging Services department, to offer early lung cancer screening via Computed Tomography (CT) for patients throughout the region.

During Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November, Regional West encourages the public to be aware of this disease and to be proactive in its prevention and detection. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.

The Centers for Disease Control estimate that more than 80% of all lung cancer cases are related to cigarette smoking. About 70% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage when survival rates are low.

“Lung Cancer is considered to be one of the top causes of cancer death in America,” said Saed Awadallah, MD, a physician with Regional West Physicians Clinic-Pulmonology, Critical Care. “Lung cancer screening with the use of Low Dose Computed Tomography of the chest (LDCT chest) aims to reduce the number of people who die from lung cancer by detecting the disease early, thus, allowing for better and more effective treatment options.”

Lung cancer symptoms may include a cough that does not go away or gets worse; coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm); chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing; hoarseness; loss of appetite; unexplained weight loss; shortness of breath; feeling tired or weak; infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that don’t go away or keep coming back; or new onset of wheezing.

“Tobacco Cessation and Low Dose CT chest cancer screen have the ability to reduce the burden of lung cancer mortality,” Dr. Awadallah said.

To qualify for lung cancer screening a person must be 50 to 80 years old, be a smoker or quit smoking less than 15 years ago and have a smoking history of at least 20 years. For more information contact Regional West Physicians Clinic-Pulmonology, Critical Care at 308-630-2101.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and the only Level II Trauma Center in Nebraska west of Kearney. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers and approximately 2,000 staff members, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.