Hospital receives Lung Screening Cancer Center designation
May 18, 2015
The Hospital of Central Connecticut (HOCC) Department of Radiology has been designated a Lung Screening Cancer Center by the American College of Radiology (ACR).
To receive distinction as a Lung Cancer Screening Center, facilities must be accredited by the ACR in computed tomography in the chest module, as well as undergo a rigorous assessment of its lung cancer screening protocol and infrastructure. Also required are procedures in place for follow-up patient care, such as counseling and smoking cessation programs. This designation applies to both HOCC’s New Britain General and Bradley Memorial campuses.
Lung cancer screening with low-dose chest CT scan has been shown to reduce mortality due to lung cancer by 20 percent, says HOCC radiologist Dr. Eric Gorny. Lung cancer is the nation’s leading cancer killer. Gorny adds that lung cancer screening can also incidentally detect other types of malignancies including lymphoma, liver, adrenal, splenic, and renal cancers, contributing to a 7 percent all-cause mortality reduction.
HOCC previously provided such screenings as part of a recent Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute clinical trial.
Screening is recommended for adults aged 55 to 77 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Radiation dosage for the screening is nearly the same amount of radiation as in a mammogram, about 1/10 of a typical CT scan. The screening is covered by insurance, including Medicare. For more information on lung cancer screening, please call thoracic nurse navigator Noa Mencher at 860.696.4814. A physician referral is required for a screening.
The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Center designation is a voluntary program recognizing facilities that have committed to practice safe, effective diagnostic care for individuals at the highest risk for lung cancer. The ACR devotes its resources to making imaging and radiation therapy safe, effective and accessible to those who need it.
The Hospital of Central Connecticut (HOCC) is a 414-bed, 32-bassinet acute care teaching hospital with two campuses, New Britain General and Bradley Memorial in Southington. A member of Hartford HealthCare, HOCC services include emergency, inpatient, surgery, laboratory, outpatient, and radiology. Among specialty areas are cardiovascular care, metabolic health, obstetrics, oncology, orthopedics, and psychiatry/behavioral health. For more information, please visit www.thocc.org; for a physician referral, call 1.800.321.6244.