North Florida Hospital expands access to lung cancer screening for Alachua and Bradford county residents

HCA Florida North Florida Hospital announced today that lung cancer screenings are now available at four locations in Alachua and Bradford counties to make early detection more accessible for the North Central Florida community. Early detection is paramount to successful treatment of lung cancer, and by offering increased access to this vital screening, the team at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital hopes they can save more lives.

“Lung cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages,” said Dr. Michael Jantz, interventional pulmonologist at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital. “Because of this, treatment options are more limited, and the chance of cure is significantly decreased. Early detection through annual screening allows for timely intervention and potentially curative treatment, leading to a much higher chance of long-term survival.”

Low-dose computed tomography (also called a low-dose CT scan, or LDCT) is the only recommended screening test for lung cancer. During an LDCT scan, the patient will lie on a table and a CT scanner machine uses a low dose (amount) of radiation to make detailed images of the lungs. The scan only takes a few minutes and is not painful. This screening is only recommended for qualified patients and requires a physician referral. To qualify, patients must be over 50 years old, currently smoke, or have a history of smoking.

"By offering LDCTs to our community, our team has already been successful in catching lung cancer in its early stages, improving their chances of survival," said Gabe Bullaro, chief executive officer of HCA Florida North Florida Hospital. "We hope that by bringing the screening locations closer to home for our patients, that more people will take advantage of this life-saving opportunity.”

HCA Florida North Florida Hospital is now offering low dose CT lung cancer screening at four convenient locations in Alachua and Bradford counties: HCA Florida North Florida Invision Imaging Center, HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, HCA Florida Starke Emergency and HCA Florida Gainesville Emergency. To schedule this screening, patients must have a referral from their primary care provider. With physician referral in hand, they can then call 888.894.2108 to schedule their LDCT at the location most convenient for them.

For more information on HCA Florida North Florida Hospital’s comprehensive lung care services, please visit HCA Florida Healthcare.