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Lung cancer screenings help veterans breathe easier

November 07, 2014
OCRlungscreening

IN THE NEWS: Through November, UCI Health is offering eligible veterans free low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening. The Orange County Register followed veteran Sal Yniguez during his exam with Dr. Mohsen Davoudi. Veterans are in one of the highest risk groups for lung cancer:

As he grows older, Yniguez said, he is concentrating on “preventative maintenance,” getting regular physical exams and, about 1 1/2 years ago, a colonoscopy. He had a close call when that test revealed eight polyps growing in his large intestine.

“The days I waited were some of the longest days,” he said of anticipating the biopsy results.

The polyps were benign.

The lung screening, called a low-dose computed tomography scan, was quick. Similar to a mammogram, it can spot nodules that might indicate cancer in its early stages, when it is most treatable.

Davoudi called the low-dose CT a revolution in diagnosing lung cancer, which kills more people than any other type of cancer. After skin cancer, it is also the most common cancer in men and women combined, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Discovering abnormal tissues early makes them easier to treat, but most cases of lung cancer are detected only after symptoms appear. By that time, the cancer may have begun to spread.

Photo: Salvador Yniguez, 52, of Westminster, center, meets with Dr. Mohsen Davoudi, chief of pulmonary and critical care at UCI Medical Center on Tuesday. / Orange County Register

Read the Register article ›

Learn about the UCI Health low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening program › 

UCI Health urges free lung cancer screening for eligible high-risk veterans ›