FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 17, 2021

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is celebrating the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout (GASO) on Nov. 18 by amplifying education and awareness about lung cancer screening and free support for smoking cessation that’s available from the SC Tobacco Quitline.  

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of lung cancer and emphysema. It is also one of the leading causes of premature death. During the national GASO recognition, DHEC encourages residents to learn how stopping smoking can help prevent lung cancer and other diseases and how low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screenings can help identify lung cancer in its early stages. Resources for smoking cessation and lung cancer screenings are available to South Carolinians.

“GASO takes place in November, which is also Lung Cancer Awareness Month,” said Michael, Dickey, director of DHEC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. “These two things go hand in hand. With health insurance coverage for LDCT lung cancer screening and for tobacco cessation from both private and public health insurers, South Carolinians have a better chance for a better life.” 

Lung cancer can be caught early with LDCT lung cancer screening, and if lung cancer is caught early or before it spreads, the likelihood of surviving five years or more improves to 59 percent, according to the American Lung Association. LDCT lung cancer screening is covered by all private health insurance plans, and members of South Carolina Healthy Connections Medicaid also are covered for annual LDCT lung cancer screening.    

Quitting smoking greatly reduces your risk of lung cancer and free quit support is available 24/7 to all South Carolinians (también disponible en español) from expert coaches at the SC Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW y 1-855-DÉJELO-YA). No insurance coverage is necessary. In addition to the free support from the SC Tobacco Quitline, South Carolina  Healthy Connections Medicaid members have an expanded cessation benefit that covers all seven FDA-approved cessation therapies with no copay or prior authorization required.      

Talk to your doctor about LDCT lung cancer screening if you meet all of the following:

•    Are 50 to 80 years old 
•    Have a 20 pack-year smoking history 
•    Currently smoke or quit smoking within the past 15 years

Healthcare providers will consider all three of the above criteria before recommending an LDCT lung cancer screening. A “pack-year” is a clinical term used to describe the approximate number of cigarettes a person has smoked over time. It’s calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years the person has smoked. 

If you are ready to quit, call the SC Tobacco Quitline or visit www.quitnowsc.org for more information.  All SC Tobacco Quitline support options are either online or over the phone.

Learn more about free quit support at www.quitnowsc.org.  Visit the CDC website to learn more about LDCT lung cancer screening. To learn about your LDCT lung cancer screening coverage, contact your insurance provider, or if you have South Carolina Healthy Connections Medicaid, contact the SC Department of Health and Human Services at scdhhs.gov or (888) 549-0820.  

###