Symptoms & Diagnosis

Early detection is key in the fight against lung cancer. Symptoms often don’t appear until the lung cancer is advanced, which is why a lung cancer screening is so important – helping you detect the disease before you experience symptoms. 

If you do experience symptoms, they are likely to include:

• Coughing that gets worse and won’t go away
• Coughing up blood
• Hoarseness
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Chronic bronchitis or pneumonia
• Chronic fatigue
• Chest pain
• Weight loss with no known cause

Early Detection is Your Best Protection

The key to beating lung cancer is to catch it early, before symptoms show, when you have a much greater chance of successful treatment. For those at high-risk of lung cancer, CHI Saint Joseph Health now offers low-dose CT scans, the latest and most effective early detection tool available.

Compared to traditional chest X-rays, this innovative screening is four times more likely to detect a mass, greatly improving survival rates. Low-dose CT is fast, safe and painless, and even covered by most insurances, so there’s no reason to put off this potentially life-saving test.

Call 859.313.4673 for more information or speak with your primary care provider to schedule your screening at a location close to home.

Follow-Up Testing

When a low-dose CT scan is performed, it’s common to find small, abnormal areas (called nodules or masses) in the lungs, especially in current or former smokers. Most lung nodules found are not cancer, though your doctor may recommend a follow-up CT scan, usually six months later to check that the nodule has not grown.

In the unlikely case that the nodule grows or presents a worry, your doctor may recommend further testing using a PET scan or biopsy (taking out a small piece of the nodule).

If lung cancer is detected, know that you have Central Kentucky’s most experienced care team in your corner. These specialists will discuss all cancer treatment options with you and create a personalized plan. And you’ll have your own nurse navigator to guide and support you throughout the journey.