Mary Lanning Healthcare and the Morrison Cancer Center are teaming up to provide more patients with the potential to detect lung cancer at an earlier stage. A $5,000 grant from the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is helping to move the program forward.
The new lung cancer screening program through MLH and MCC will begin serving patients in March.
David Jones, MCC Director, said patients can be referred to the program by their primary care provider or specialist. The provider will decide whether the patient qualifies for the program.
The first step includes a low-dose CT screening through the MLH Diagnostic Imaging Department. Depending on the results, the lung cancer screening team will recommend next steps, which may include follow-up with a pulmonologist, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, surgical oncologist and/or MCC’s smoking cessation program.
Jones said a big part of organizing the program included work by the MLH Information Technology Services Department to implement a new software system for tracking patients in the program. Dr. Paul Rodriguez, Radiologist, Chandra Muske, MCC RN, Nurse Navigator, and Joan Meese, RN, Clinical Trials Coordinator, are among the large team assembled to organize the program.
“Many different departments of the hospital have worked on getting this program together,” Jones said. “An earlier-stage diagnosis of lung cancer can lead to less-invasive treatment options and better outcomes.”
For information on how to become enrolled in the program, please contact your primary care provider or the Morrison Cancer Center at 402-460-5899.