MDNews - Cleveland-Akron-Canton

t om o g r a p h y (C T ) t h a t p r o d u c e s a 3-dimensiona l image of the lungs. This screen i ng mea sure ha s been proven ex t remely a ccu rat e for ea rly det ec- tion of ca ncers a nd abnorma lities in t he chest . According to the Nationa l Lung Screening Tria l (NLST) of 2012, t here wa s a 20 percent reduction i n deat hs from lung ca ncer a mong cur- rent or former heav y smokers who were screened with this rapid, non-invasive a nd pa inless CT versus those screened by traditiona l chest X-ray. "One rea son why lung ca ncer is so serious is because by the time sy mp- toms have presented with a patient, the ca ncer may have a lready spread a nd become more dif f icu lt to treat ," says Jeffrey Unger, MD, Medica l Director, Depa r tment of R adiolog y at Western Reserve Hospita l. "Our program focuses on looking for ca ncer before there a re a ny sy mptoms. If we ca n f ind ca ncer at a n ea rly sta ge, it ca n be ea sier a nd more successful to treat." In 2016, 31% of the people screened t h rou g h t he hospit a l's Lu n g Hea lt h P r o g r a m w e r e f o u n d t o h a v e a n abnorma l nodule. Ma ny of them were considered to be "high risk" — current or former heav y smokers between the ages of 55 and 79. However, non-smokers who work or have worked in construction or fields where they 're exposed to asbestos a nd other a irborne ha za rds, a nd those who live or have lived w it h smokers, could a lso be at higher risk. The Lung Health Program utilizes the expertise of a multidisciplinary team of specialists to provide follow-up for evaluation of nodules. This team includes pulmonologists, radiologists, Certified Tobacco Treatment Specia lists, a nd other healthcare professionals focused on lung health. "We work closely with the referring physician to help guide their patients on understanding the results of the CT scan, possible additional procedures and next steps, and resources for quitting," says Dr. Unger. Smoking addiction, co-morbidities, smoking histor y, medications a nd past quit attempts a re ta ken into account during the treatment process in order Helical CT produces high-resolution 3-D images of lung nodules. The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) of 2012 reported a 20 percent reduction in deaths from lung cancer among current or former heavy smokers who were screened with helical CT versus those screened by traditional chest X-ray. to create an individualized smoking ces- sation plan. Patients receive an overall health evaluation and progress report that are reviewed when planning any future treatment in concert with their primary care physicians. Dr. Fuenning points out that although early detection gives patients more treat- ment options, the best prevention for lung cancer is to quit smoking or never start. " For t hose patients who need help quit ting, our prog ra m of fers severa l smoking-cessation initiatives, including free classes, a nd one-on-one counsel- ing," he says. " In addition, we of fer a robust resource por ta l on our website with easy access to a 'quit ' app that was developed by Pf izer in partnership with the A merica n Lung A ssociation." B y a l l a ccou nt s , t he Lu n g Hea lt h Prog ra m at Western Reser ve Hospita l ha s been a success. Tracked resu lt s show that 55% of participants remained at t he qu it r at e one ye a r fol low i n g completion of the program, compared to the nationa l average of 35%–40%. This positive outcome has repor tedly saved hundreds of lives and improved lifestyles. "Our motivation in desig ning a nd launching the Lung Health Program was to answer a community healthcare need," says Dr. Fuenning. "We remain focused on providing the clinica l services and investing in the community resources necessary to lessen the impact of this disease for those we serve. And we are confident we can help even more people as the Program continues to be utilized." To learn more about Western Reserve Hospital's Lung Health Program , visit www.westernreservehospital .org/ lung health or call 330 -929-LUNG (5864). ■ IMAGE COURTESY OF WESTERN RESERVE HOSPITAL, CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH 1 5 M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S C L E V E L A N D /A K R O N / C A N T O N ■ J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 017

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