An effort is underway to turn the tide on a cancer that’s hitting one area of The District particularly hard.
Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the nation — and part of the reason why is people are not catching it early, according to the American Cancer Society.
Across the U.S., only 6% of people are screened for lung cancer, according to a report from the American Cancer Society. In D.C., only 3% of people take advantage of lung cancer screenings.
Within the District, lung cancer is especially deadly in Wards 7 and 8, which is something George Washington University Hospital said it is hoping to change by finding new ways to help people in those wards access the screening that can catch this cancer early.
In the 2018 D.C. Primary Care Needs Assessment, it was noted that many in these wards can’t get away from work during the week for something like a lung cancer screening, and offering different hours for these medical appointments would help.
The hospital is hosting a special lung cancer screening event Saturday until noon to give those people access. The screenings will be held in the radiology department on the first floor.
The screenings take less than a minute and if people qualify for a screening, it’s generally covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most insurances.
The hospital said to schedule an appointment, call 1-855-495-8647 (1-855-GW-LUNGS).
