Office of Primary Care and Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program

Beth Zigmund, M.D., associate professor of radiology

(NOVEMBER 7, 2024) A North Country man says lung cancer screening saved his life, WVNY-TV reported. Beth Zigmund, M.D., associate professor of radiology, a diagnostic radiologist with the UVM Cancer Center said only 10 percent of Vermonters at high risk of cancer are being screened.

Zigmund advises anyone between the ages of 50 and 80 who has smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 or more years, including those who quit 15 years ago or less, to talk to their provider about getting screened.

“The rate of cure among people whose cancers are found early is dramatically higher than those who are found in later stages of the disease,” she says.

Lung cancer screenings at the UVM Cancer Center have risen to about 33 percent, compared to the national 4.5 percent average, according to Zigmund. But she acknowledges that many people fear getting tested, adding that the procedure only takes about 10 minutes and could help some people catch their cancer before it becomes deadly.

Woody Kissel of Champlain, New York, says getting a lung screening last year saved his life and he is encouraging more people to get tested.

“I went to the screening and thought there was nothing wrong with me … Well, I guess I was wrong.”

Kissel signed up for the procedure after talking to his health care provider. A week later the retiree learned he had stage three lung cancer. Now 12 months after seeking treatment, his scans have come up negative.

National Lung Cancer Screening Day, held this year on November 9, has two main goals: to raise awareness of early cancer detection through regular lung cancer screening, and to reduce access disparities.