WMCHealth Launches Low Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening Program for High-Risk Patients on Valhalla and Poughkeepsie Campuses

A new Low Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening program at Westchester Medical Center, the flagship of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), and network affiliate MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie now offers life-saving early lung cancer detection to help high-risk Hudson Valley patients identify lung cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages.

Accredited by the American College of Radiology, the program offers high-quality imaging with state-of-the-art computed tomography (CT) equipment that uses the lowest radiation dosage possible (only a fraction of the dose used for a conventional chest CT), and also provides the convenience of a comprehensive program with a dedicated staff to walk the patient through the entire process.

"We want to emphasize to our patients that lung cancer is most curable when found in its earliest stages, and knowing your risk for the disease can help you catch it early," said Anna Rozenshtein, MD, MPH, FACR, Director of Thoracic and Cardiac Imaging at Westchester Medical Center. "The program is life-saving for our patients who are at risk not only for lung cancer, but for diseases of heart and blood vessels."

Smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer, linked to about 80-90 percent of diagnoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Current and former smokers, people with a strong family history of lung cancer, and people with asbestos exposure are at an increased risk for the deadly disease.

WMCHealth's Low Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening program is staffed by a board-certified, subspecialty-trained team that includes a thoracic radiologist and surgeon, pulmonologists and oncologists, in addition to a dedicated patient navigator trained to guide the patient through his or her journey from screening and diagnosis to treatment. The program also connects patients to needed care and support following diagnosis, all available through the WMCHealth network at Hudson Valley locations close to home.

Members of the community can learn their risk by taking an assessment through a lung cancer risk calculator offered by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and by calling Westchester Medical Center's lung cancer screening program at 914-493-2500. The Advanced Imaging Center is located at 19 Bradhurst Avenue, Suite 1000N in Hawthorne, NY. MidHudson Regional Hospital's lung cancer screening program can be reached at 845-431-8776 and is located at 241 North Road in Poughkeepsie.

Anna Rozenshtein, MD, MPH, FACR, Director of Thoracic and Cardiac Imaging at Westchester Medical Center (right) and Patricia Cleary, CT technician, prepare a patient for a lung CT scan.