VCU Health hosts Twitter chat on lung cancer awareness

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Virginia Commonwealth University Health officials are hosting a Twitter chat on lung cancer awareness from noon to 1 p.m. today. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Facilitating the chat will be Mark Parker, M.D., professor of diagnostic radiology and internal medicine and director of the Thoracic Imaging Division at VCU. Parker’s specialties include interstitial lung disease and lung cancer.

Statistics indicate deaths from lung cancer occur every three minutes. In Virginia, the American Cancer Society estimates 5,740 new diagnoses of lung cancer and 4,070 lung cancer deaths occurred this year.

Historically, lung cancer was the only cancer not subject to routine screening, yet it is one of the four deadliest cancers along with breast, prostate and colorectal. During the chat Parker, director of VCU’s lung cancer screening program, will address the importance of being screened for lung cancer if a person is at risk.

To be part of the conversation or submit questions in advance, users can log on to Twitter and follow @VCUHealth using #VCUHealthChat as the hashtag.