National lung cancer screening day at the joseph maxwell cleland atlanta va medical center | va atlanta health care | veterans affairs

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Veterans, families, and employees were invited to learn more about lung cancer screening at the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center. 

The Atlanta VA joined more than 125 VA facilities around the country by hosting the 3rd Annual National Lung Cancer Screening Day.   “In the Atlanta region, there are approximately 66,000

Veterans who are eligible for screening. Right now, for the year we’ve screened 1,600 Veterans,” said, Dawn Julian, Registered Nurse, and Coordinator, Lung Cancer Screening, Atlanta VAHCS.

We’ve found 22 Veterans with cancer, and we were able to treat them and manage their care says Julian. The program currently has one coordinator.  According to studies by the American Cancer

Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Veterans. Screening can be lifesaving when disease is detected early – when it’s most treatable.  “I smoke

cigarettes and cigars, and I’m interested in the screening today to see if I need to stop smoking,” said Veteran Jeffery Adams, of Marietta, GA.   VA partners annually with the American

Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable, GO2 for Lung Cancer, Radiology Health Equity Coalition, American College of Radiology, and the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative to

raise awareness and increase access to high-quality lung cancer screening by encouraging Veterans nationwide to discuss lung cancer screening with their health care provider. Lung cancer

risk factors include smoking (which is the leading cause), exposure to secondhand smoke, environmental toxins, family history, and certain genetic factors.  Symptoms may include persistent

cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, unexplained weight loss, and coughing up blood. Early detection through screening can significantly improve treatment outcomes, especially for those

at high risk.  “We hope to spread awareness to Veterans and bring more attention to screening and show how important it is to this disease. It takes a lot of lives,” said Dr. Nicholas

Maurice, Director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program. It’s very important to get screened,” says Maurice.