Why is lung screening important?

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, in part because it has no symptoms in its early stages. A large majority of people diagnosed with lung cancer do not survive the disease, because it is often found at an advanced stage. With advances in technology and cancer research, there are now proven and effective ways to screen for lung cancer at its earliest stages.

Who should get a lung screening exam?

Annual screenings, (with a low-dose computed tomography, CT), is recommended for the following groups of people who are at the highest risk for lung cancer:

• Adults aged 50-80 years who have a 20-pack year history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years

If a suspicious area is identified, then a referral would be placed to the Lung Nodule Program.

A new innovation that holds promise to fight lung cancer is now in use at San Ramon Regional Medical Center. The hospital is one of only ten hospitals in California to utilize the platform, which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Used to view the inside of the lungs and obtain a tissue sample for biopsy, the goal of Auris Health’s Monarch™ Platform is to enable earlier and more-accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach nodules at the edge of the lung.

This technology integrates the latest advancements in robotics, software, data science.

Learn more about Innovative Technology for Lung Cancer Diagnosis