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Making an online purchase, checking off to-do lists or deciding what to eat or avoid--nearly every day we face decisions where we must examine pros and cons. Whether consciously or automatically, cost-benefit analyses are a fact of life. Yet not all our choices are clear-cut or carry the same weight.
Determining whether to momentarily pause our work day to take a brief, brisk walk during our lunch break, regardless of a looming deadline, may be worth it for the subsequent energy, mood and productivity boost we'll gain. But what about decisions with heavier and longer-term consequences, such as those that may impact our health?
Take, for example, preventive cancer screenings. It should go without saying that every test, treatment and therapy comes with some risk. However, medical experts consistently agree that the potential gains of patients receiving screenings like low-dose CT scans for lung cancer are well worth it. Saving lives from this disease is an outcome with immeasurable value.
When advising patients about choices that may affect their well-being, the focus should be on ensuring open lines of communication. Every individual has unique health needs and risk factors, and physicians' care decisions, including what, when and how often they suggest that patients receive screenings, if at all, should reflect that.
Let's consider low-dose CT scans for lung cancer. Physicians wouldn't prescribe this course of action to just any individual. These screenings are advised for select patients who meet specific criteria. This includes current or former smokers 50 to 80 years old with a smoking history of at least 20-pack years in generally good health with no signs, symptoms or history of the disease.
Due to a combination of factors, lung cancer is a disease that is generally found in later, more advanced stages when treatment is more invasive and often less effective. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that low-dose CT scans enhance early detection, reducing lung cancer deaths by 20 percent. The American Lung Association found that "if lung cancer is caught before it spreads, the likelihood of surviving five years or more improves to 64 percent." The lifesaving impact of low-dose CT scans is clear.
Regardless of the disease, the goal of advising patients to receive specific preventive cancer screenings is to help them achieve maximum benefit. The NIH reinforces this: "The benefits far outweigh the risks if the scan is clinically justified." In the case of lung cancer, if a patient meets the criteria, low-dose CT scans should be the recommended course of action because research confirms that these screenings provide consistent, explicit value.
No determination that affects our health will likely ever be easy to make. That's why we should talk to our health-care providers about protecting our health, including our potential cancer risk and if, when, and what screening we may need to consider receiving. If you have questions about your eligibility, visit screening.CARTI.com.
Donald Norwood, M.D., is the medical director of imaging services and a fellowship-trained diagnostic radiologist at CARTI.