Thanks to a new grant, it's easier than ever to be screened.
In 2018, there were an estimated 234,000 new cases of lung cancer in the U.S., making it the second most common cancer diagnosis (breast cancer is first), according to the National Cancer Institute. Unfortunately, it’s the leading cause of cancer death; fewer than 20 percent of patients survive five years because the disease is usually detected at a late stage.
To help save lives, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton provides a Lung Cancer Screening Program for patients with a history of smoking. In 2018, more than 180 patients at high risk for lung cancer were screened via low-dose CTscans. To increase that number, the RWJUH Hamilton Foundation recently received approximately $60,000 in grant funds from the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
The funds will be used to cover screening costs and co-pays for 30 uninsured and underinsured patients, as well as medical evaluation fees for those who have a positive CT scan. Also covered are tobacco cessation education and counseling for uninsured and underinsured patients; nicotine replacement therapy options, such as gum and patches; and gas cards, which will encourage patients to come to the hospital for screening.
RWJBarnabas Health and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey—the state’s only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center—provide close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Visit www.rwjbh.org/beatcancer.
For more information about the RWJUH Hamilton Foundation, please visit us at www.rwjbh.org/hamiltongiving.