CT Lung Screenings Encourage Quitters

As physicians, we encourage patients to adopt healthy behaviors to help reduce the risk of all kinds of diseases. As human beings we also recognize that nothing is as simple as “do this” or “don’t do that.”

Telling a smoker that smoking is bad for them isn’t news, nor is suggesting they quit a novel idea. People generally do want to be healthier, but breaking an addiction is a challenge that isn’t solved easily or consistently. Because quitting the tobacco habit is never easy, we applaud any tool which has proven positive results.

As we have discussed in the past, for health reasons from reducing risk of cancers from lung to breast and to reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases, quitting smoking is high on the to-do list. Getting regular CT screenings for lung cancer if you are, or have been, a regular smoker is important. The reasons for getting screenings have grown! In addition to catching cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage (and thus saving lives!), screenings can be a positive life-changing motivator.

According to a recent scientific study, smokers who undergo CT screenings are 10% more successful in quitting smoking after only two weeks. This success was also noted for longer time periods when compared with the group who did not undergo CT screening. Seeing is believing, and receiving those results from your screening CT study may be motivation to help you quit tobacco for good!

If you need more help in kicking the habit, we’ll keep giving you more reasons (and more tools) to take the steps you need for a longer, healthier life.