STATE COLLEGE — Mount Nittany Medical Center radiology department has been designated a Lung Cancer Screening Center by the American College of Radiology.
The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Center designation is a voluntary program that recognizes facilities that have committed to practice safe, effective diagnostic care for individuals at the highest risk for lung cancer, Mount Nittany Health said in a release.
In order to receive this distinction, facilities must be accredited by the ACR in computed tomography in the chest module, as well as undergo a rigorous assessment of lung cancer screening protocol and infrastructure. Also required are procedures in place for follow-up patient care, such as counseling and smoking cessation programs.
Mount Nittany Health’s Lung Cancer Screening Program offers at-risk patients low-dose CT screenings. It is the second phase in the facility’s lung nodule program, made possible by a gift from Lloyd and Dottie Huck to the Mount Nittany Health Foundation.
The procedure’s low-dose CT scans, which take around five minutes to complete, are painless and noninvasive and can detect very small nodules in the lung.
These scans use up to 90 percent less ionizing radiation than regular CT scans, and no radiation remains in the body after the scan.
Lung cancer found by this screening method is often at an early stage of the disease, which can lead to better treatment and outcomes.
Low-dose computed tomography scans and appropriate follow-up care significantly reduce lung cancer deaths. In December 2013, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommended screening of adults aged 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-a-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.
Lung cancer is the nation’s leading cancer killer, taking the lives of more people each year than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.
“Being a designated Lung Cancer Screening Center represents a major commitment to the recognition and treatment of the leading cancer killer of both men and women in the U.S.,” said Dr. Edward Balaban, medical director of the Cancer Care Partnership, a partnership between Mount Nittany Health and Penn State Cancer Institute. “This undertaking is a vital component in Mount Nittany Medical Center’s ongoing dedicated regional cancer care effort.”
The ACR, founded in 1924, is one of the largest medical associations in the United States. It devotes its resources to making imaging and radiation therapy safe, effective and accessible to those who need it. Its 36,000 members include radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, interventional radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians.
For more information, visit www.mountnittany.org.
