21

THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2021 Page 21 S y Senior Should You Be Screened Sa e hld a BY JIM MILLER nior B S Senio for Lung Cancer? Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about lung cancer screenings? I was a big smoker but quit years ago, so I’m wondering if I should be checked out. Dear Still, Lung cancer screening is used to detect the presence of lung cancer in otherwise healthy people with a high risk of lung cancer. Should you be screened? It depends on your age and your smoking history. Here’s what you should know. Screening Recommendations The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force – an independent panel of medical experts that advises the government on health policies – recently expanded their recommendations for lung cancer screenings. They are now recommending annual screenings for high-risk adults between the ages of 50 and 80 who have at least a 20-pack year history who currently smoke or who have quit within the past 15 years. This is a change from the 2013 recommendation that referred to patients ages 55 to 80 with 30-year pack histories. A 20-pack year history is the equivalent of smoking one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years. In 2020, lung cancer killed more than 135,000 Americans making it the deadliest of all possible cancers. In fact, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer also occurs predominantly in older adults. About two out of every three people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older. You’ll also be happy to know that most health insurance plans cover lung cancer screenings to high-risk patients, as does Medicare up to age 77. Screening Pros and Cons Doctors use a low-dose computed tomography scan (also called a low-dose CT scan, or LDCT) of the lungs to look for lung cancer. If lung cancer is detected at an early stage, it’s more likely to be cured with treatment. But a LDCT isn’t recommended for every high-risk patient. LDCT scans have a high rate of false positives, which means that many will undergo additional (and unnecessary) screening or medical procedures, such as another scan three, six, or even 12 months later to check for changes in the shape or size of the suspicious area (an indication of tumor growth). For some patients, the anxiety or worry that goes along with waiting can be a real issue. Or you may need a biopsy (removal of a small amount of lung tissue), which has risks, especially for those with underlying health conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema. For example, in people with emphysema, there’s a chance of a lung collapsing during the procedure. If you meet the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force criteria for high-risk lung cancer, the University of Michigan off ers a free online tool (see ShouldIScreen.com) to help you decide if you should get an LDCT. It’s also important to discuss the benefi ts and risks with your primary care doctor before making a decision. Tips for Testing If you and your doctor determine that you should be screened, look for an imaging facility whose staff follows American College of Radiology requirements when performing low-dose CT scans. You can fi nd accredited facilities at ACRaccreditation.org. This can help to ensure an accurate read of your scans by a highly trained, board-certifi ed or board-eligible radiologist. You may need a referral from your primary care provider. Most insurance companies, including Medicare require this before they’ll cover the cost of screening. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. The SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act) was signed into law on December 20, 2019. A significant provision of the SECURE Act was the repeal of the ability of a designated beneficiary of an IRA account to withdraw the funds over his or her life expectancy. Designated beneficiaries inheriting IRA accounts after 2019 must now withdraw monies from the IRA account within 10 years. The IRS should be issuing proposed Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) regulations soon as a result of the changes made by the SECURE Act. It is no longer necessary to determine the age of the IRA owner at the time of death for distribution purposes as long as the IRA owner dies after 2019 and the beneficiary is a designated beneficiary under the IRA account (a Trust or an individual). For designated beneficiaries subject to the 10-year rule, withdrawals from the IRA account are optional until December 31st of the 10th year following the year of death of the IRA account owner. The new 10-year rule also applies to a successor beneficiary of a designated beneficiary of the original IRA account owner, who inherited an IRA account prior to 2020, but who dies after 2019. A designated beneficiary will establish a beneficiary IRA account and will then select a beneficiary of his or her inherited IRA account. That subsequent beneficiary would be deemed to be a successor beneficiary. If the designated beneficiary, however, had died prior to 2020, then the successor beneficiary would have the right to withdraw the remaining balance of the IRA account over the life expectancy of the designated beneficiary, and not be subject to the 10-year rule. Former Smoker nir ior d “YOUR FINANCIAL FOCUS” JOSEPH D. CATALDO NEW 10-YEAR RULE FOR INHERITED IRA’S Under the SECURE Act, an Eligible designated beneficiary is eligible to withdraw the remaining balance of the inherited IRA account over his or her life expectancy. The following qualify as an Eligible designated beneficiary: • The surviving spouse of the IRA account owner • A child of the IRA account owner who has not yet reached the age of majority. Once the child has reached the age of majority, the child then has 10 years to withdraw the balance in the inherited IRA account • Disabled beneficiary • Chronically ill beneficiary • An individual not falling into A-D who is not more than 10 years younger than the IRA account owner. These are complicated new rules relating to beneficiaries of IRA account owners. However, since IRA accounts are so common, it is important to understand the new rules. 1. On May 28, 1934, the Dionne quintuplets were born on the family farm in what Canadian province? 2. U.S. Route 50, a transcontinental highway, has a portion known as “The Loneliest Road in America” that is in what state? 3. In May 1915, Babe Ruth hit his fi rst career home run against what team that he was later traded to? 4. On May 29, 1885, in what Massachusetts city (“Shoe Capital of the World”) did Jan Matzeliger demonstrate his invention of a machine to mass produce shoes? 5. What is Neapolitan ice cream? 6. The 1966 what group released the album “Face to Face” with the song “Rainy Day in June”? 7. In May 1830, the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb” was fi rst published – in Boston; what editress/writer/ activist and proponent of Thanksgiving and the Bunker Hill Monument authored it? 8. Which U.S. state has the longest coastline? 9. How are Allyson, Lockhart and Taylor similar? 10. On May 30, 1821, James Boyd of Boston patented a fi re hose of cotton lined with what substance (to replace leather hose)? 11. The “I want my Maypo” commercials advertised what? 12. What is the Memorial Day fl ower? 13. What was the name of the boyfriend of Geraldine (Flip Wilson)? 14. On May 31, 1578, the Catacombs were discovered in what city? 15. What was Romeo’s family name? 16. On June 1, 2002, the fi rst law to prohibit light pollution in a nation went into eff ect in what country that is bordered by Slovakia on the east? 17. Where would you fi nd the Lost Boys in “Peter Pan”? 18. On June 2, 1924, what U.S. president signed into law the Indian Citizenship Act? 19. What is Aurora Australis? 20. On June 3, 1937, what famous marriage occurred? ANSWERS 1. Ontario 2. Nevada 3. The New York Yankees 4. Lynn, MA 5. Diff erent ice cream fl avors – usually chocolate, strawberry and vanilla – pressed into a block for slicing 6. The Kinks 7. Sarah Josepha Hale 8. Alaska 9. They are the last names of entertainers named June. 10. Rubber 11. The first-ever maple-flavored oatmeal cereal 12. Red poppies 13. Killer 14. Rome 15. Montague 16. The Czech Republic 17. Never-Never Land 18. Calvin Coolidge 19. The Southern Lights 20. Between the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson

22 Publizr Home