Screening advocacy group Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) is teaming up with Vietnam Veterans of America and U.S. medical centers to launch a new pilot initiative for veterans at risk of lung cancer, providing information on lung cancer risk and CT screening, LCA said.
The initiative begins on Thursday, November 8, at Walter Reed National Medical Military Center, the flagship facility for military healthcare. Other medical centers that will join in between November 8-13, in time for Veteran's Day celebrations, include the following:
- Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA
- Middlesex Hospital Cancer Center, Middleton, CT
- Norton Healthcare, Louisville, KY
- Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY
- St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix
- Swedish Cancer Institute, Seattle
- WellStar Health System, Atlanta
All participating centers have agreed to follow LCA's National Framework for Excellence in Lung Cancer Screening and Continuum of Care, which the organization developed to ensure that CT screening and "responsible care" would be provided to a broad population of at-risk individuals, LCA said.
Veterans face a higher risk of lung cancer than civilian populations due to higher smoking rates and exposure to a wide array of known carcinogens during active duty. Symptoms do not usually become obvious until the cancer has already grown into late-stage disease, when survival is less than 15%, making low-dose CT screening a critical responsibility for those at risk.
