“Offering a dedicated day for screening highlights the importance of and can act as a reminder to get lung cancer screening,” Jennifer Febbo, MD said. “Further, having it on a weekend gives patients flexibility to make an appointment that they may not have on a weekday.” 

UW Health will offer 90 appointments at University Hospital and East Madison Hospital on Nov. 14. As of Oct. 21, 48 patients had signed up, which is an increase from events in prior years that saw 45 and 33 participants. 

During the screening, Dr. Febbo and other members of the Thoracic Imaging Section look for signs of lung cancer on chest CTs, usually lung nodules, as well as other abnormalities in the chest that could be clinically significant, such as pulmonary fibrosis or coronary artery calcium. 

The U.S. Preventive Task Force and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network both recommend yearly screening for lung cancer for patients meeting specific criteria. This type of screening has been shown to improve outcomes in individuals who currently smoke or who have smoked cigarettes and are at increased risk of getting lung cancer. 

“Yearly screening increases the chance that we can catch lung cancer early,” Dr. Febbo said. 

Dr. Febbo said her goal is for patients to have a positive experience getting their scans and report the studies the same day to reduce stress that can occur with medical screening.