November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. A perfect time to revisit this topic!

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the U.S., and smoking causes almost a half a million deaths per year.

Rural NC Road in Autumn. Photo used with permission

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. 

Medicare pays for opioid use disorder (OUD) screenings performed by physicians and non-physician practitioners.  If you diagnose your patient with OUD, they also pay for treatment services.

• Colorectal cancer was the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in North Carolina in 2019.
  
  
• Data from 2020 shows that 20% of people aged 50-75 in the US have never been screened for this disease.
  
  
• In March 2021, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) changed screening recommendations to lower the age to begin screening from 50 to 45.
  

Unhealthy alcohol use is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. 

Risky drinking is associated with:

• Cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, colon, liver and breast
• Liver disease
• Stroke
• Heart Disease
• Pancreatitis
• Injuries and accidents
• Miscarriages / still birth
• Depression and Suicide

Our colleagues at the UNC Lineberger Cancer Network have a variety of live and on-demand content that may be of interest to you.  In particular, the 'Patient Centered Care' series includes topics relevant to primary care clinicians. While it is short notice for the webinar this Friday, consider saving time on your calendar for future offerings (the March 9th event may be especially relevant for you).