Arnot Health, a member of Centralus Health, announces the creation of a Rapid Lung Module Clinic, to fast-track lung cancer patients into treatment.
Lung nodules are small growths that can develop in the lungs. Research shows nodules appear in nearly 1 out of every 3 chest CT scans. Not all spots are cancerous, but they can be concerning for the patient
With high rates of smoking in counties like Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben, pulmonologists at Centralus Health, including Cayuga Health, treat many people for pre-cancer and symptoms of lung cancer. In 2024, Arnot Health’s physicians noticed a problematic delay between the time of a lung scan and the time a patient received treatment.
Dr. Michelle Malnoske, pulmonary critical care physician, medical director of the intensive care unit, and associate chief medical officer at Arnot Health, set a goal of speeding up the process of identifying and treating patients.
“I actually mapped out the entire process between getting a scan and what steps could delay care,” Malnoske said.
“Our goal is to rapidly diagnose the abnormalities found on CT scans. If someone was diagnosed with lung cancer, their abnormal CT scan to the time they got diagnosed was about 73 days on average, which is a long time to sit with this unknown,” said Dr. Malnoske.
Doctors aim to expedite the process further by getting necessary studies, consultations, and follow-up appointments scheduled within the same day. Through this effort, the time to diagnosis has been reduced to 18 days.
“Patients that come to the clinic get their breathing test done; they see a pulmonologist and, if needed, they see our thoracic surgeon,” says Dr. Malnoske.
Not every patient is the right fit for the rapid lung nodule clinic. People who qualify for a lung scan are those who have a 20 pack-year or more smoking history, smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years and are between 50 and 80 years old. Patients with concerns over a recent scan should talk to their doctor about a referral.
