COPD

Chronic Condition Management

Tip of the Month

Message from the Medical Director

COPD and lung cancer share similar risk factors, disease processes, and symptoms. They are both also significant causes of morbidity and mortality: nearly 16 million people in the US are living with COPD, and lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the US, accounting for about 20% of all cancer deaths.

Patients with COPD are at higher risk of developing lung cancer. COPD in patients with lung cancer is associated with lower survival rates.

In 2021, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) expanded their recommended lung cancer screening-eligible population, and in 2022 CMS updated their coverage determination to match the USPSTF recommendation more closely.

Early-stage detection of lung cancer improves prognosis — when caught before it spreads, 5-year survival likelihood improves to 63%. We therefore urge you to screen all eligible patients for lung cancer, especially those who have COPD.

Thank you for your commitment to screening your patients and in support of their health.

Kind regards,

X. Shirley Chen, MD, MS

In this Issue

MSHS-NJRI-Respiratory-COPD-2col-770x420-v2 image

Who to Screen for Lung Cancer
COPD, Smoking, and Lung Cancer
Mount Sinai's Lung Screening Program

*MSHP Care Management prioritizes patients in our MSSP and Healthfirst contracts and those patients with Medicaid

Who to Screen for Lung Cancer

The US Preventative Service Task Force (USPSTF) recommends annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for patients who (are):

50-80 years old with a 20 pack-year smoking history
Currently smoke cigarettes, or have quit within the past 15 years

Medicare covers screening for individuals who (are):

50-77 years old with a 20 pack-year smoking history
Currently smoke cigarettes, or have quit within the past 15 years

The Medicare coverage policy reflects changes to the USPSTF recommendations that lowered the age to initiate screening from 55 to 50 years, and reduces pack-year history from 30 to 20.

Try this pack-year calculator to quickly identify patients who should be screened for lung cancer.

For more insurance coverage information, refer to this guide from the American Lung Association.

COPD, Smoking, and Lung Cancer

Cigarette smoking is the number 1 cause of developing COPD in the United States, and patients with COPD are 4-6 times more at risk of developing lung cancer regardless of age, sex, and smoking history.

Early detection of lung cancer is a key factor for survival; if detected before it spreads, the likelihood of 5 year survival improves to 63%.

Mount Sinai's Lung Screening Program

Mount Sinai Health System’s Lung Screening Program helps patients schedule and complete lung cancer screenings. Program leadership are pioneers in the field who have been doing research and helping patients for more than 20 years.

For more information or to make an appointment with the Lung Screening Team, call 1-844-672-8463, or e-mail lungscreening@mountsinai.org.

Share this brochure with patients.

Recording and Slides Now Available

Caring for Patients with Complex Chronic Disease

Key Components and

Updates to Diabetes &

CKD Management

Thank you to all who joined us at our last condition management CME course!

If you missed it or would like to review the materials, find them on our Condition Management Hub.

Find more on the Chronic Condition Management Hub

Mount Sinai Health System's Chronic Condition Management Hub is an online resource center for primary care physicians, specialists, and other care providers with resources and information to help them manage chronic health conditions

P: 877-234-6667

E: MSHP@mountsinai.org

Provider Engagement Team