Skiff piloting lung cancer screening program

A pilot program designed to provide early lung cancer detection is coming to Skiff Medical Center. Skiff will serve as a pilot hospital for the Mercy Lung Cancer Screening Program, working to address the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. and the world.

“Having a hospital our size be part of this screening program is a big deal,” Skiff COO Sonja Ranck said. “There aren’t a lot of small facilities offering this yet. We consider it a great benefit for the patients here in Newton and the surrounding areas.”

According to Skiff, lung cancer is the most common type of cancer among American adults with more people in America dying from the disease than prostate, breast and colon cancers combined. Expanding the program to additional facilities is vital to addressing disease because early detection of lung cancer through CT screening of people at high risk has been shown to decrease deaths by 20 percent.

“Mercy Medical Center — Des Moines has provided this program for only a few years, and Skiff is the first small hospital in Mercy Health Network to be able to offer it,” Skiff program coordinator and radiology technologist Julie Hauber said. “We are fortunate to be included in these early stages, but at the same time, be able to take advantage of Mercy’s expertise, so we’re not starting from scratch. This is a program that numerous doctors have asked for numerous times.”

Patients who are interested in the screening and meet the criteria as high risk for lung cancer should first consult with their primary care provider to determine if the program is appropriate for them. The risk factors include adults ages 55 to 77 who are current or former smokers with a smoking history of at least 30 “pack-years,” consisting of one pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years.

“This provides low-dose CT screening for smokers who haven’t been diagnosed with cancer but are at risk,” Ranck said. It is a screening test, rather like mammograms for breast cancer, but designed for a population at high risk for lung cancer.”

The scan is said to be simple, easy and painless and offers a reduced radiation dose, just slightly more than a chest X-ray, but much less than a regular CT scan of the lungs. The CT scan provides the clearest image of the lung tissue and helps to detect nodules. While the small rounded spots are common, and about 97 percent are noncancerous, a nodule can represent early lung cancer. Once completed, the CT scan will be interpreted by an experienced chest radiologist, and patients will receive their results within one to two weeks.

“Jasper County has a fairly high smoking population,” Hauber said. “We know there are a considerable number of people at risk for lung cancer. Hopefully, this program will find cancers earlier and help us to save lives.”

National organizations, including the American Lung Association, recommend the lung cancer screening for anyone who is categorized as high risk. Alyssa DePhillips, tobacco control and lung health manager for the ALA, said she is excited to see the screening opportunity come to Newton.

“We applaud (Skiff’s) efforts because early detection is vital in effectively treating lung cancer and increasing the survival rate,” Thompson said. “According to our recent state of lung cancer report, in Iowa only 17 percent of lung cancer cases are caught at an early stage. If lung cancer is caught at an early stage, the survival rate is significantly higher.”

For more information about the lung cancer screening program, contact Hauber at 641-792-4310 or jhauber@skiffmed.com

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com