If you are or were a smoker, a lung cancer screening could save your life.
Lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Delaware. Smoking is the number-one risk factor for lung cancer—in the United States, cigarette smoking is linked to about 90 percent of lung cancers.
Until now, there was no way to detect lung cancer until it was in late stages. A screening called a low-dose CT scan has been approved to help detect lung cancer at an early stage when it’s most treatable. Studies have shown that this form of screening can reduce the risk of dying of lung cancer by 20 percent.
Who should be screened and how often:
- Current smokers who have smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for the last 30 or more years or two packs a day for the last 15 or more years
- Smokers who quit smoking within the last 15 years and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 or more years or two packs a day for 15 or more years
- Smokers and former smokers who are 55 to 80 years of age
You are at a greater risk for lung cancer if you:
- Use tobacco products
- Have been exposed to secondhand smoke
- Are a heavy alcohol user
- Eat a diet low in fruits and vegetables and high in cholesterol
- Have been exposed to asbestos, paint, mustard gas, and other chemicals
- Have been exposed to radon gas and/or air pollution
- Have a family history of lung cancer
- Have a personal history of tuberculosis
To get screened you should:
- Talk with your doctor about the lung cancer screening. A free lung cancer screening could be available to you if you don’t have insurance.
- Learn about the Delaware Quitline, where cessation counselors can help you quit smoking.
- Call (302) 401-4212 to schedule your screening with a lung cancer nurse navigator.
We offer help for screening and lung cancer treatment:
- If you don’t have insurance or you can’t afford a lung cancer screening, there is a program that could provide the screening for you.
- If you should be diagnosed with lung cancer and you can’t afford treatment, the Delaware Cancer Treatment Program provides free cancer treatment for up to two years. Cancer Care Coordinators help guide you through treatment, scheduling visits with doctors and making sure you get the care you need.
Stay informed—check out this downloadable pdf for more information about lung cancer.
A nurse navigator can schedule a cancer screening for you.
Every health care system in the state has nurse navigators who can schedule your cancer screening and provide follow-up help - whether you have health insurance or not. Use this form to request a callback, or call the nurse navigator at the facility closest to you:
If you would like to speak directly to a nurse navigator you can call the facility closest to you from the list below.