CORNWALL, Ontario – The Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH) has announced that it is the newest hospital to join The Lung Cancer Screening Pilot for people at High Risk (HR LCSP).
The Cancer Care Ontario pilot has been receiving referrals from local doctors since October. People ages 55 to 74, who have smoked cigarettes daily for more than 20 years, are eligible to participate in the program. Four hospitals in the province have been participating in the pilot, using low dose CT scans in hopes of diagnosing the cancer early.
In the first year of the trial program, 18 cases of lung cancer were found in patients who would have not been screened outside of the pilot. A total of 1891 patients from across the province were referred.
“We’re pleased to be a part of this trial,” said Jennifer Barkley, Director of Diagnostic Services at CCH in a press release. “We know that Cornwall has higher smoking rates than other communities and it’s important we offer this early scanning process for lung cancer.”
According to statistics, 7,100 people died as a result of lung cancer in 2016. This total is greater than deaths related to breast, colorectal and prostate cancer combined. Screening has the potential to detect lung cancer at an early stage when treatment is projected to be more successful.
For more information about the program, visit www.ottawahospital.on.ca/lungscreening.
