Charlottesville, Va.-based UVA Cancer Center has partnered with the Appalachian Community Cancer Alliance and Grundy, Va.-based Buchanan General Hospital to bring lung cancer screening to rural Virginia and West Virginia residents.
The organizations have formed the Rural Appalachian Lung Cancer Screen Initiative to increase screening access and improve early detection rates, according to a Nov. 25 news release from UVA Health.
The program is designed to streamline the referral process, allowing providers in Buchanan County, Va., McDowell, W.Va., and other nearby areas to more easily refer patients to Buchanan General Hospital for screening.
Though the American Lung Association highlighted a 26% increase in survival and a 15% decrease in incidence as part of its 2024 "State of Lung Cancer" report, care disparities across state lines and demographics are still influencing patient outcomes.
UK Healthcare's Markey Cancer Center recently received a four-year, $6.8 million grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation to replicate its successful Quality Implementation of Lung Cancer Screening program in Mississippi and Nevada.