Free Lung Cancer Screenings

Free CT Lung Cancer Screenings Offered

Darby, PA (February 28, 2011):  Mercy Cancer Care at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby and Mercy Philadelphia Hospital in West Philadelphia are launching a new free Lung Cancer screening program beginning March 1, 2011. Individuals who have a long smoking history could qualify for the screening program.  There is a limited number of these screenings being performed at no cost to the patient.  They will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis.  The test is not invasive, and takes less than five minutes to perform.

Lung cancer, which is primarily caused by cigarette smoking, is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The majority of cases aren’t detected until symptoms appear. New studies have shown that low-dose CT scans can detect lung cancers at relatively early stages and reduce lung cancer deaths among smokers.

At this time, Mercy Cancer Care is the only program in the Philadelphia area that is offering free low dose CT lung screening studies – normally a several hundred dollar cost to patients. The lung cancer screening is just one of many community outreach initiatives that provide free healthcare opportunities and education to our communities.

In December, 2010, the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted Three-Year Accreditation to Mercy Cancer Care at Mercy Fitzgerald and Mercy Philadelphia Hospitals. CoC accreditation is only given to facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.

A facility receives a Three-Year Approval following the on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which the facility demonstrates a level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement). In addition a facility receives a compliance rating for all other standards.

Mercy Cancer Care Lung Screening is limited to qualified individuals. Insurance is not required to qualify. An individual can call Central Scheduling to determine whether they qualify for the program. Call:

Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital – 610.237.2525.

Mercy Philadelphia Hospital – 215.748.9117