Dr. Shari Meyerson, the Chief of Thoracic Surgery, says state-of-the-art equipment allows them to make a diagnosis and then immediately treat any cancerous tumors.
"From the time we have a nodule in the lung that we're worried about until the time we have taken it out and treated it can be all in the same day," said Meyerson.
Lisa Buede scheduled a screening last year because her nurse practitioner suggested one. Buede had been a smoker for 45 years, but wasn't showing any signs of possible cancer.
"I went into biopsy, and they had a pathologist there, and they said if they find something, I just have surgery," Buede said. "You don't have to find out you have cancer and wait months to have surgery scheduled, and it eliminates all the anxiety."
Buede called it "cancer care for dummies." She said she woke up and doctors told her she "had cancer and it's gone."
Buede's cancer was so small that it was classified as below stage one. Dr. Meyerson says this type of early detection will save countless lives. As for Buede, she remains cancer-free eight months after her treatment and quit smoking that day.
Who can get screened?
- Ages 50 to 80 years old
- 20 pack-year smoking history (a pack a day for 20 years or equivalent)
- Currently smoking or have quit within the past 15 years