BRIGHTON, N.Y. (WROC) - November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which serves as a good reminder of the resources available locally to help catch the disease early. UR Medicine is taking time to highlight their lung cancer screening program this month. Since its inception in 2021, it has only grown, along with the prevelance of the disease by case numbers. "Each month, we've seen more patients and we've screened more patients. It just shows we're reaching people in the community, and we hope to keep doing that more and more," said Kari DePoint, a nurse practitioner at Strong Memorial Hospital. Officials are looking to reach people ages 50 to 80 who currently smoke or have quit smoking in the last 15 years. With a five-minute Cat Scan, UR Medicine offers a quick and painless procedure to help patients detect lung cancer sooner. Officials add it gives them the option of a pathway to an overall improved quality of life. "Our goal is really to raise awareness and erase stigmas behind lung cancer and lung cancer screenings, and really get it out there that this is available. It's not scary. It's simple," said DePoint. Those with UR Medicine say another goal is to raise the level of lung cancer awareness to other forms of cancer. "People are so grateful. We often help them overcome the anxiety of knowing something is there versus not knowing. Some people say they don't want to know, but if you don't know, things can spread," said DePoint. If you or someone you know is eligible to get screened for lung cancer, UR Medicine's resources can be found here.