Nov 23, 2014 3 min read

Allegheny Health Network is expanding its successful free screening program to patients at risk of lung cancer to three new sites: Allegheny Valley Hospital, AGH-McCandless and AHN’s Peters Township Health + Wellness Pavilion.

The free screening is offered in hopes of catching the disease in as many patients as possible at its earliest and most curable stages.

“In the two months that we have been offering free lung cancer screening at West Penn Hospital, more than 200 at-risk people have taken advantage of this valuable service,” said Dr. Lana Schumacher, a thoracic surgical oncologist and co-director at the Allegheny Health Network Esophageal and Lung Institute. “We are very happy to extend this service to a wider population in hopes of detecting more early-stage abnormalities, and educating people about smoking cessation options.”

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computer tomography in adults age 55 to 74 who have a 30 pack-year history of smoking (a pack a day for 30 years, or two packs a day for 15 years), and either currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Consumer Reports cites CT lung cancer screening as among “The Cancer Tests You Really Need” for long-term smokers.

“The National Lung Screening Trials showed that low-dose CT scans save lives, reducing lung cancer mortality by 20 percent,” said Marvin R. Balaan, MD, FCCP, system division director, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Allegheny Health Network. “Unfortunately, most patients are not treated for lung cancer until they become symptomatic, when the disease is well advanced. With preventative screening, we can identify cancer at an early, more treatable and potentially curable stage.”

Patients that qualify will be contacted by a lung cancer nurse navigator, who will educate them on the screening process and the implications of test results. The test requires no preparation or contrast injections. The navigator will then guide patients through follow-up care and on critical disease prevention measures such as smoking cessation.

In addition to the CT screening, more than 30 Highmark members have been referred to Highmark’s Smoking Cessation Program. All participants are eligible for smoking cessation services, even those who call to inquire about screening but do not qualify.

“Screening is not an excuse for smokers to continue smoking,” Dr. Schumacher said. “Smokers continue to put themselves at high risk for not only lung cancer, but a host of other smoking-related diseases.”

Allegheny Health Network is has developed a database that tracks participants – their demographics, smoking history, test results and follow-up recommendations – to demonstrate the value of this preventative health care program.

“While the percentage of patients showing a malignancy has been low, many patients have other findings that require care and monitoring,” said Allegheny Health Network radiologist Dr. Jeffrey Mueller. “This is in line with our expectations and further illustrates the value of CT screening.”

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and the leading cause of cancer death. Smoking is the cause of about 85 percent of all lung cancer cases, and the risk increases with age. About 37 percent of U.S. adults are current or former smokers.

Participants in the screening are not obligated to return to an Allegheny Health Network facility for treatment or follow-up.

For more information about the program, patients may call 1-844-AHN-LUNG.