Joint partnership between Baptist Health Paducah and West Kentucky Community and Technical College creates lung nodule tool for
Tool helps educate patients in the community about value of being screened for lung cancer.
(Paducah, Kentucky) Nov. 22 – Baptist Health Paducah, in collaboration with West Kentucky Community and Technical College, has developed a 3D lung nodule tool designed to help educate patients in the community about the value of being screened for lung cancer, which is the No.1 diagnosed cancer in Kentucky.
The 3D lung nodule tool provides a hands-on demonstration for patients and a visual representation of different lung nodules. Developed through input from the Emerging and Technology Center of WKCTC and multiple departments at Baptist Health Paducah, including pulmonology, oncology and imaging, these tools will be distributed to all Baptist Health hospitals in Kentucky and Indiana for healthcare providers to use as an additional educational resource.
“The 3D lung nodule tool provides a great visual depiction of the sizes and characteristics of the nodules of concern found on lung CT scans,” said Keith Kelly, MD, Pulmonology. “It helps us guide the patient through our decision making for the next steps of evaluation. CT screening has been valuable in early lung cancer detection, giving us more effective treatment options. Recently the criteria for CT screenings were expanded, giving more people at risk, access to potentially life-saving testing.”
WKCTC students, led by Sam Arnone, program coordinator for computer manufacturing and machining, will produce 300 tools through milling, routing, cutting, engraving and 3D printing. “This collaboration between Baptist Health Paducah and the Emerging and Technology Center is exciting for our community, “said Kevin O’Neill, vice president of regional workforce training and economic development for WKCTC. “The opportunity for our students to see the results of their efforts applied in a functional way is incredible.”
The production of the tools was made possible by a $10,000 donation from The Baptist Health Kentucky Foundation.
Baptist Health Paducah offers lung cancer screenings through a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest to look for signs of cancer in people who do not have any symptoms of the disease. Screening is important to detect cancer early when it is most easily treated.
Low-dose CT lung cancer screenings are available for people at Baptist Health Paducah who meet the following criteria:
- 50 to 80 years old
- 20-year pack year smoking history (defined as smoking one pack a day for 20 years, or 2 packs a day for 10 years)
- Current smoker or former smoker who has quit within the last 15 years, and
To learn about your risk factors, take a free online assessment or schedule a lung screening by calling Lauren Sonneck, patient lung navigator at 270.415.7631.