Elliot Hospital Named Lung Cancer Screening Center of Excellence

Elliot Health System has been designated as a Screening Center of Excellence by the GO2 Foundation for its ongoing commitment to responsible lung cancer screening. Low dose CT screening for lung cancer carried out safely, efficiently, and equitably can save lives by finding lung cancer early, when it is most treatable and even curable.

Low dose CT lung cancer screening is an easy, noninvasive scan of the lungs that involves minimal radiation exposure. It is intended to catch early-stage lung cancer in high-risk individuals. Identifying lung cancer early is essential to increasing the survival rate of all high-risk patients, as more treatment options are available. The five-year survival rate is over 50% higher than when cancer is identified at later stages.

“The Elliot is dedicated to providing patients with the highest quality care. Low dose CT screening has shown to be the only proven method to detect lung cancer at an early and treatable stage. We are thrilled to be part of this elite group, setting an example for responsible screening practices across the country,” says Fatima Rocco, Lung Cancer Screening Program Coordinator for Elliot Health System.

Since its inception in March 2017, the Elliot’s low dose CT screening program has screened more than 3,500 high-risk patients and found 51 cancers. Thankfully most of them were at stage one. The most promising stage of all.

The Elliot offers three convenient locations for Lung Cancer Screening – Elliot at River’s Edge, The Elliot at Bedford, and Elliot Medical Center at Londonderry – all of which are also designated Centers of Excellence by the American College of Radiology.

Designated Screening Centers of Excellence are committed to providing clear information on who is a candidate for lung cancer screening based on current evidence. Screening Centers of Excellence comply with comprehensive standards reflecting best practices developed by professional bodies such as the American College of Radiology (ACR), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP). Through established guidelines for controlling screening quality, radiation dose and diagnostic procedures within an experienced, multi-disciplinary clinical setting, Screening Centers of Excellence are ensuring that lung cancer screening’s life-saving benefit transforms lung cancer care in their local community.

“We are proud and honored to be working with Elliot Health System as a GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer Screening Center of Excellence. Their commitment to practice responsible lung cancer screening will lead to advancements in research and many lives saved. They are an example to follow,” says GO2 Foundation Co-Founder, President and CEO, Laurie Fenton Ambrose.

According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, making up nearly 25% of all cancer deaths. It is the cause of more deaths than colon, prostate, and breast cancer combined. An estimated 235,760 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed by the end of 2021. However, the number of new cases continues to decrease every year, due in part to smoking cessation efforts as well as advances in early detection, like low dose CT screening.

Visit Elliot Hospital’s website to learn more about the Lung Cancer Screening Program and to learn who is eligible for this screening program. Patients may also call (603) 663-1833.