Northwest Health – Porter Opens Lung Nodule Clinic

11/9/2020

Today, Northwest Health - Porter announced that it has opened a specialized clinic to help patients who have been told they have a lung nodule, often called a “spot on the lung”. The clinic’s goal is to help patients get a fast, accurate, and efficient diagnosis and coordinated management of suspicious or cancerous lung nodules.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and the reason Northwest Health chose to open the new clinic this month. Lung cancer is a leading cause of death in the U.S. and, according to the CDC, the third most common cause of cancer. More people die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer.

Sean Dardeau, Market Chief Executive Officer for Northwest Health, said, “Lung Cancer Awareness Month is a time to bring awareness to the ways we can improve lung health. The first is prevention and the second is early detection. When lung cancer is diagnosed early, the chances of curing lung cancer increases significantly.”

Patients who visit the Lung Nodule Clinic will benefit from a multi-disciplinary team of physicians who work together to facilitate early diagnosis and timely care for patients.

Lung nodules are small masses of tissue in the lung and are quite common. They appear as round, white shadows on a chest x-ray or CT scan. Most cause no symptoms and go undetected. The majority are found while performing a chest x-ray or CT scan for pneumonia or abdominal pain. The majority of lung nodules are found to be benign and can come from an infection or scar tissue from an old infection. However, some are early signs of lung cancer and require prompt evaluation.

Non–cancerous lung nodules require no treatment. Depending on the nodule, physicians sometimes recommend periodic imaging tests to see if the nodule grows or changes over time.

The multi-disciplinary team at the Northwest Health – Porter Lung Nodule Clinic includes pulmonology, radiology, thoracic surgery, oncology and a nurse navigator. Patients are typically referred to the clinic by their physician but patients who have had a chest CT performed and are seeking a second opinion may refer themselves. The Lung Nodule Clinic can be reached at 219-983-LUNG (5864). The clinic is located in the Medical Plaza on the Northwest Health Porter campus at 85 East US Highway 6, Valparaiso.

More information about the clinic is available at nwhealthporter.com.

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