McLeod Regional Medical Center has been designated a Lung Cancer Screening Center by the American College of Radiology (ACR). McLeod is the only hospital in this part of South Carolina to achieve this designation.

The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Center designation is a voluntary program that recognizes facilities that have committed to practice safe, effective diagnostic care for individuals at the highest risk for lung cancer.

In order to receive this elite distinction, facilities must be accredited by the ACR in computed tomography (CT) 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.

In 2014, McLeod implemented a Lung Cancer Screening Program that is coordinated by a Lung Nurse Navigator. The screening process begins with the nurse navigator contacting those interested in the Lung Cancer Screening Program to review their medical history and any symptoms they may be experiencing. If a patient meets the criteria for screening, the nurse navigator guides them through the process and gets them to the appropriate doctor for treatment if needed.

Participants in the McLeod Lung Cancer Screening Program receive:

• a low-dose CT scan*
• a professional reading and interpretation of findings by a McLeod Radiologist who will either recommend a one-year follow-up or further testing
• free smoking cessation counseling
• results sent to their primary care physician
• a letter informing them if their scan was normal or a follow-up call from the Lung Nurse Navigator
• referrals to a pulmonologist or cardiothoracic surgeon if anything of concern is detected on the scan

* Please note that CT scans to screen a person without symptoms for lung cancer are not covered by Medicare. The cost of the screening CT scan is $200.    

Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography scans, and appropriate follow-up care, significantly reduces lung cancer deaths. In December 2013, the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommended screening of adults aged 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history (30 pack-year is equivalent to one pack per day for 30 years or two packs per day for 15 years) and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Lung cancer is the nation’s leading cancer killer – taking the lives of more people each year than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.

For more information about the Lung Cancer Screening Center designation, visit: acr.org/Quality-Safety/Lung-Cancer-Screening-Center.

If you are interested in learning more about the McLeod Lung Cancer Screening Program, please contact McLeod Lung Nurse Navigator Summer Bryant-Cook at (843) 777-5640.

About ACR

The ACR, founded in 1924, is one of the largest and most influential medical associations in the United States. The ACR devotes its resources to making imaging and radiation therapy safe, effective and accessible to those who need it. Its 36,000 members include radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, interventional radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians.