Carolyn “Bo” Aldigé joins expert panel to discuss ways to move forward on lung cancer screenings

Prevent Cancer Foundation President and Founder Carolyn “Bo” Aldigé will be speaking on an expert panel tomorrow, December 13, in San Francisco. Aldigé was invited to speak on the panel organized by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center by Scott D. Ramsey, M.D., Ph.D., Jennifer Malin, M.D., Ph.D. and Sean D. Sullivan, Ph.D.

The panel will discuss the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s (USPSTF) draft recommendations for annual low-dose computerized tomography (CT) lung cancer screenings for adults, ages 55 to 79, who have quit smoking in the last 15 years, or who have a 30 pack per year history of smoking. The goal of the panel is to find ways to move forward on the issue of lung cancer screenings, and provide practical information to managers, practicing oncologists, policy makers and other health care system stakeholders. The panel will also be discussing the impact of the draft recommendations and prepare a publishable briefing paper reflecting their views while the draft recommendations are still in the public comment period.

Joining Aldigé on tomorrow’s panel will be Laurie Fenton of the Lung Cancer Alliance, Jeffrey P. Kanne, M.D. of University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Tracy A. Lieu, M.D., M.P.H. of Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Andrea McKee, M.D. of the Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Shelby D. Reed Ph.D, R.Ph of Duke University, J. Sanford Schwartz, M.D. of University of Pennsylvania, Walter F. Stewart, Ph.D. of Sutter Health, Christian G. Downs, J.D. MHA of Association of Community Cancer Centers, Joanna Sanderson, Pharm.D., M.S. of Health Outcomes Research and Kristen McAvoy of the Lung Cancer Alliance.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women, and the Prevent Cancer Foundation has been a leading voice in advocating for high quality, low dose spiral CT screening for those at high risk for developing cancer for many years. Spiral CT scans detect lung cancer in its early stages and are expected to drop lung cancer mortality rates by 20% after the USPSTF recommendations are finalized.