UW Hospital and Clinics has been named a Designated Lung Cancer Screening Center by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The ACR Lung Cancer Screening Center designation 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 designation, facilities must have a prior ACR accreditation in chest module computed tomography (CT), and must undergo a meticulous inspection of facilities and procedures relating to lung cancer screening. Also included in the inspection is follow–up care such as counseling and smoking-cessation programs.
Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and properly performed CT scans can help doctors discover tumors early , while the cancer can still be treated effectively. Ensuring the highest quality of CT screening is an even larger priority with Medicare’s recent proposal to cover such scans, adding as many as 4.9 million patients to the eligibility list for CT screening.
This designation is the culmination of a four-year, department-wide effort, with special recognition to the CT team, led by CT Modality Chief Associate Professor Peter Chase, M.D. Additionally, Professor Frank Korosec, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor Tim Szczykutowicz, Ph.D. were highlighted for their work in assembling the ACR application.
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 technicians.