VA Prioritizes Lung Cancer Screening in November Medical Center Event
PRESS RELEASE
October 20, 2023
Saginaw , MI — November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and this year is especially important as the second annual National Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) Day falls on Veterans Day, November 11th!
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Veterans, and lung cancer screening can save lives.
Enrolled Veterans may be eligible for lung cancer screening if they:
· Are 50-80 years old
· Smoke cigarettes now or quit within the past 15 years
· Have a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years
(this means 1 pack per day for 20 years or 2 packs a day for 10 years, etc.)
Veterans are invited to our Lung Cancer Screening Awareness Month event on November 7 and 9, 2023 at Aleda E. Lutz VAMC, located in the main lobby at 1500 Weiss St. Saginaw, MI 48602, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. “This event promotes the importance of early lung cancer screening and can be lifesaving because it is most treatable when caught early,” stated Ashley Merrill, Lung Cancer Screening Coordinator Nurse. “Please visit our informational booth to learn more as well as receive a complimentary gift and a treat.”
In partnership with the American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable, American College of Radiology, GO2 for Lung Cancer, and Radiology Healthy Equity Coalition, VA aims to increase access to lung cancer screening by encouraging Veterans to discuss LCS with their health care provider. More than 110 VHA facilities are participating in this year’s National LCS Day activities in the week leading up to Veterans Day, November 6-11, 2023. Visit My HealtheVet to send a message or make an appointment to talk to your VA provider about lung cancer screening.
The Aleda E. Lutz VAMC in Saginaw, Michigan operates an 81-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation Community Living Center. It provides care to over 40,171 Veterans in a 35-county geographic area, from mid-Michigan to the Mackinac Bridge. Veterans can also receive care at one of our nine VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics located throughout Michigan. More information about this VA can be found at https://www.va.gov/saginaw-health-care/.
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