REGULAR CONTENT
Final ID
616
Type
Educational Exhibit-Poster Only
Authors
N Golewale1, S Patel2, J Lenfestey3
Institutions
1Radiology, Inc. Elkhart General Hospital, Mishwaka, IN, 2Radiology, Inc. Elkhart General Hospital, Mishawaka, IN, 3Elkhart General Hospital, Elkhart, IN
Purpose
To study the value of implementing a community hospital lung cancer screening program on an Interventional Radiology practice.
Materials & Methods
Elkhart county's (Indiana) population of smokers is among the state's highest at 23.4%. Elkhart General Hospital's (EGH) cancer registry over past 10 years showed that 50% of lung cancer diagnosed were stage IV. In 2012 a multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Clinic (TOC) was developed, which included a lung cancer screening program. Interventional radiologists are critical members of the TOC, and unique to our program is that patients and their family members are invited to this conference to discuss their imaging findings and management. Patients with abnormalities, typically on CT, which are suspicious or suggestive of malignancy underwent CT-guided biopsy by an interventional radiologist. A low dose CT biopsy protocol was developed.
Results
Since the inception of the program, 892 LDCT were performed of which 27 biopsy requests were made. Often these lesions were small, but the technical success of biopsy was 100%, with a positive biopsy rate of 74%, and a pneumothorax rate of 5%. Four referrals for radiofrequency ablation were made through TOC. Many patients were diagnosed at an earlier stage with an estimated 5-year mortality reduction of approximately 50%. Radiation dose for CT-guided lung biopsy was reduced by 63%. The perception of IR as a clinical specialty improved significantly among clinicians attending TOC. Due to unique 'patient centered' approach of this program, patient appreciation of an IR physician as an essential member of the care team increased, which has been the subject of an American College of Radiology Imaging 3.0 Case Study (available at http://www.acr.org/Advocacy/Economics-Health-Policy/Imaging-3/Case-Studies/Patient-Engagement/Patient-Forward).
Conclusions
Implementation of a lung cancer screening program in a community hospital resulted in increased IR referrals for CT-guided lung biopsy and improved perception of clinicians and patients for IR. CT-guided biopsy radiation dose was reduced and patients were diagnosed with lung cancer at an earlier stage, allowing for less invasive therapies, such as radiofrequency ablation.
Final ID
616
Type
Educational Exhibit-Poster Only
Authors
N Golewale1, S Patel2, J Lenfestey3
Institutions
1Radiology, Inc. Elkhart General Hospital, Mishwaka, IN, 2Radiology, Inc. Elkhart General Hospital, Mishawaka, IN, 3Elkhart General Hospital, Elkhart, IN
Purpose
To study the value of implementing a community hospital lung cancer screening program on an Interventional Radiology practice.
Materials & Methods
Elkhart county's (Indiana) population of smokers is among the state's highest at 23.4%. Elkhart General Hospital's (EGH) cancer registry over past 10 years showed that 50% of lung cancer diagnosed were stage IV. In 2012 a multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Clinic (TOC) was developed, which included a lung cancer screening program. Interventional radiologists are critical members of the TOC, and unique to our program is that patients and their family members are invited to this conference to discuss their imaging findings and management. Patients with abnormalities, typically on CT, which are suspicious or suggestive of malignancy underwent CT-guided biopsy by an interventional radiologist. A low dose CT biopsy protocol was developed.
Results
Since the inception of the program, 892 LDCT were performed of which 27 biopsy requests were made. Often these lesions were small, but the technical success of biopsy was 100%, with a positive biopsy rate of 74%, and a pneumothorax rate of 5%. Four referrals for radiofrequency ablation were made through TOC. Many patients were diagnosed at an earlier stage with an estimated 5-year mortality reduction of approximately 50%. Radiation dose for CT-guided lung biopsy was reduced by 63%. The perception of IR as a clinical specialty improved significantly among clinicians attending TOC. Due to unique 'patient centered' approach of this program, patient appreciation of an IR physician as an essential member of the care team increased, which has been the subject of an American College of Radiology Imaging 3.0 Case Study (available at http://www.acr.org/Advocacy/Economics-Health-Policy/Imaging-3/Case-Studies/Patient-Engagement/Patient-Forward).
Conclusions
Implementation of a lung cancer screening program in a community hospital resulted in increased IR referrals for CT-guided lung biopsy and improved perception of clinicians and patients for IR. CT-guided biopsy radiation dose was reduced and patients were diagnosed with lung cancer at an earlier stage, allowing for less invasive therapies, such as radiofrequency ablation.