TUPELO, Miss. – In honor of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, North Mississippi Health Services is offering lung cancer screening with low dose CT for $99 during November.

"Early detection is key in the fight against lung cancer,” said Daniel Lenard, NMHS vice president for oncology. “A low-dose CT screening can provide a critical opportunity to identify lung cancer at its most treatable stage."

The $99 screening requires an order from a health care provider but is available to anyone concerned about lung cancer risk. The $99 screening is only available for scans performed during November.
Lung cancer screening is available at Medical Imaging at Barnes Crossing in Tupelo and NMHS hospitals in Amory, Eupora, Iuka, Pontotoc and West Point, Mississippi, and Hamilton and Winfield, Alabama.

“Low dose CT doesn’t require needles or special preparation,” said Gary Tedford, NMHS director of radiology. “The scan takes less than a minute to complete.”
The $99 screening is not billed to insurance and must be paid prior to the test.

If you don’t have a regular health care provider, call 1-800-THE DESK (1-800-843-3375). Any symptoms like chronic cough or trouble breathing should be evaluated separately from screening.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends lung cancer screening for:

• Ages 50-80
• Have smoked within the past 15 years
• 20 pack-year+ history

• 1 pack a day x 20 years = 20 pack-years
• 2 packs a day x 10 years = 20 pack-years
• ½ pack a day x 40 years = 20 pack-years

• No chest CT scan in last 12 months

Most insurers will cover lung cancer screening with low dose CT for those who meet these criteria.

It is not necessary to meet the USPSTF criteria to be eligible for the $99 special screening during November.