PORTLAND — Free ME From Lung Cancer will collaborate with Mercy Hospital and Central Maine Medical Center to support their early detection program at no cost to qualified patients while funds are available.

In January, Free ME from Lung Cancer received a grant in the amount of $15,000 from the Maine Cancer Foundation to help promote and support early detection programs.

The screening will be offered at Mercy’s American College of Radiology Lung Cancer Screening Center designated site, the Howard K and Verna E Dearborn Imaging Center located at the Mercy Fore River Imaging Center. It will include a low-dose CT scan, immediate interpretation by a Mercy radiologist and smoking cessation counseling if appropriate. The procedure is non-invasive, requires no preparation and takes no more than thirty minutes from start to finish.

Mercy Hospital, through the collaboration of Mercy Portland Thoracic Surgery and Mercy Radiology, offers a comprehensive lung cancer screening program for people at high risk. The program is based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and American Lung Association Screening guidelines.

Individuals considered high risk for lung cancer are aged 55 to 79 and have a 30-pack year history (average number of packs smoked daily multiplied by the number of years of active smoking) of smoking, including individuals who have stopped smoking fewer than 15 years ago.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S. and kills more people than colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. Currently, Maine has a higher incidence of lung cancer and mortality than the national average. Screening with low-dose CT imaging has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from lung cancer. Data from a large scale government-backed study found a 27 percent overall relative risk reduction and a 20 percent risk reduction in mortality related to lung cancer alone. Due to the positive benefits recognized for the screening, the study was terminated two years earlier than planned.

To help determine if you are appropriate for lung cancer screening, contact your primary care provider. Physician offices may call Mercy scheduling at 207-879-3737 to schedule.