Location

Lung Cancer Screening Program 4802 Tenth Avenue Brooklyn, NY  11219 Map Link Phone: (718) 283-2059

Physicians and Staff

Loren Harris, MD Chief, Thoracic Surgery Jason Shaw, MD Director, Minimally Invasive General Thoracic Surgery Igor Brichkov, MD Thoracic Surgeon

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The Lung Cancer Screening Program at the Maimonides Cancer Center

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, though, most cancers are discovered after they have already spread throughout the body, making it more difficult to treat. The Maimonides Lung Cancer Screening Program is designed for high-risk individuals to ensure that they are tested before problems arise.

The Maimonides Cancer Center is a state-of-the-art facility located in the heart of Brooklyn, offering minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment modalities. The Center’s highly qualified thoracic surgeons and imaging specialists possess a unique expertise in lung cancers and utilize state-of-the-art, low-dose CT imaging equipment to detect lung cancer early, when treatment is more likely to result in a cure.

About the Screening

Specialized CT scans allow our specialists to diagnose lung cancers at their earliest and most treatable stages. The 15-minute screening uses radiation levels significantly lower than those of a diagnostic CT. Research by the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial has shown that this exam, which finds tiny lung spots years before they would appear on a regular chest x-ray, reduces death from lung cancer by 20% for high-risk patients.

Our low-dose CT imaging equipment detects early lung cancers, as well many non-cancerous abnormalities in the lungs unlikely to ever result in a malignancy, such as small scars, lymph nodes or enlarged blood vessels. Some of the findings from your screening may be “indeterminate”, meaning that they may or may not be cancerous. As a precaution, these nodules may require further evaluation with follow-up scans or, in rare cases, biopsies and other procedures.

You qualify for the screening if you are:

• 55 years or older with a smoking history of 30 “pack years” (packs per day multiplied by the number of years you have smoked)
• 50 years or older with any additional risk factor (family history of lung cancer; exposure to second-hand smoke, asbestos, radon; diagnosed with another cancer)

Who is at High-Risk for Developing Lung Cancer?

People develop lung cancer for a variety of reasons. If you have one or more of the following risk factors, the Maimonides Lung Cancer Screening Program can help you.

• Cigarette smoking: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tobacco use accounts for 90% of all lung cancers. The more years and packs-per-day you have smoked, the greater the risk of developing cancer.
• Exposure to cancer-causing agents: If you have been exposed to high levels of certain agents, such as asbestos or radon, you have an increased risk of lung cancer.
• Significant exposure to second-hand smoke.
• A history of other types of cancer.
• Lung scarring: Some diseases, such as certain types of pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema, can create trauma within the lungs which increases the likelihood of developing lung cancer.
• Family history: A first-degree relative, such as a parent or sibling, who has had lung cancer increases your risk.

Don't wait ... Contact us

Most health insurances do not cover this screening. If you qualify and are not covered, we will provide the CT scan at our state-of-the-art Radiology Center for $150. For more information on the benefits of lung cancer screening at Maimonides or to make an appointment, please call (718) 283-2059.