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askAAMC.org/Living
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443-481-5838
or visit
askAAMC.org/LungScreening
.
Video
Blog
Visit
askAAMC.org/Living
to read our
Living Healthier
Together
blog and find these survivors’ stories about how
teaming up with a nurse navigator helped them find their way
through cancer treatment to survival.
“When my wife, Stacey,
was first diagnosed with
breast cancer, it was an
extremely difficult time,”
says Chad Stewart. “Our
worst fears had come true.”
But nurse navigator Kim
Stewart, RN, pointed them
in the right direction. “It
was comforting to know she
had everything set up for
me,” Stacey says. “I didn’t
have to worry about it.”
“It’s very difficult to
hear the words ‘You have
cancer,’” says neck cancer
survivor Joseph Lambert.
“But my nurse navigator
made the process so much
easier. She took the worry
out of the whole process.
All I had to do was show up
and get treatment.”
Strength in Numbers
Finding
Lung Cancer
A little screening can go a long way for your health. Recent
studies show that low-dose CT Scans are effective at finding
lung abnormalities and detecting cancers early.
Lung cancer screening is recommended for high-risk
individuals who meet one or more of the following criteria:
›
›
Between the ages of 55 and 80
›
›
Current or former* heavy smoker
›
›
Smoked at least 30 pack-years**
For those who receive the screening, AAMC’s Rapid Access
Chest and Lung Assessment Program (RACLAP) team will
consult and coordinate care if something abnormal is found.
*Quit in the last 15 years
**Average number of packs per day multiplied by number of years smoked equals
your pack-years. Example: 1 pack a day x 30 years equals 30 pack-years
Upon first learning her
husband had head and neck
cancer, Melanie Slaughter
had this to say: “As I’m
sitting there wondering how
I’m going to do this, [nurse
navigator] Jackie Shanahan
told me not to worry about
it; she was going to take
care of everything. Before
she even introduced herself
I just felt a calm come over
me when she walked in
the room. Without her I
don’t know how I would
have gotten through this
past year.”
Have these patients’
stories inspired you? Let
them know! Leave a
comment with your words
of encouragement and
your own stories of
support and strength. Go
to
askAAMC.org/Living
.
Visit
askAAMC.org/Cancer
to read the
Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Cancer Institute Cancer Registry 2013 Annual Report
.
