Lung Cancer Screening Saves Lives

Early detection through screening of patients considered at-risk saves many lives. That’s why Washington DC VA Medical Center’s Lung Precision Oncology Program encourages Veterans to participate in proper screening, genomic testing, and precision oncology trials to develop treatment plans that meet the needs of each individual Veteran.

Dr. Rahul Khosla, M.D., is the Chief of Pulmonary Section and leads the Washington DC VA Medical Center’s Lung Cancer Screening Program. This program is a National VA initiative to catch lung cancer at an earlier stage, which improves chances of survival.

“Early detection is the best way to save lives,” said Khosla. “When we catch lung cancer at an early stage the patient has the best chance of survival”

The recommended screening for lung cancer is a low dose computed tomography scan, or LDCT, for high-risk population of patients. During this short, painless procedure, a CT-Scan machine uses low amounts of radiation to make a detailed image of your lungs. While effective in diagnosing lung cancer, this screening is not recommended for everyone because it can lead to false-positive results.

“False positive results lead to more testing, which can become more invasive and further testing can expose your body to unnecessary radiation,” said Khosla. “That is why we follow the United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines which were established by reviewing many studies to define the appropriate population of patients to screen.”

Khosla recommends that any patient who smokes cigarettes should talk to their health care provider to find out if they are eligible for lung cancer screening. VA has built an automatic reminder to every Veteran’s medical chart that can easily identify If a patient meets the criteria for screening.

United States Preventive Services Task Force criteria for lung cancer screening with LDCT include:

• Those between 50-80 years old, AND
• Have a history of smoking 20 or more pack-year, AND
• Currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years

VA’s goal is to increase access to lung cancer screening to diagnosis cases earlier, when treatment is less invasive and more effective. However, lung cancer can go undiagnosed until symptoms present.

For Veterans diagnosed with lung cancer at the Washington DC VA Medical Center, a multi-disciplinary team comprising of pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, and nurses work to create treatment plans tailored to each Veterans unique needs. Khosla said the team effort alleviates the added stress patients feel with a cancer diagnosis, and speeds up delivery of treatment, resulting in an increased chance of survival.

“A lung cancer diagnosis can be scary, but we have a highly skilled team of medical professionals working together to provide every Veteran with the absolute best chance of survival. We are here for you and will work tirelessly to get you through your diagnosis,” said Khosla.

To learn more about VA Lung Cancer Screening, visit: Screening for Lung Cancer - National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (va.gov)