BATON ROUGE — Baton Rouge General has received a $30,000 grant from the American Cancer Society to help remove barriers that keep people from getting screened for lung cancer early.

The grant targets obstacles like cost and transportation that can prevent people from accessing screenings. It falls under the American Cancer Society Screening Initiatives program, which partners with health systems across the country to promote and deliver cancer screening appropriately, safely and equitably.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Louisiana and the state ranks among the worst in the country for early lung cancer diagnosis. Low-dose CT scans can detect cancer before symptoms appear, when it is most treatable.

"Louisiana is below the national average for screenings and that's something we're working to change," said Dr. Roy Culotta, a pulmonary medicine physician at Baton Rouge General. "Low-dose CT scans are one of our most powerful tools against lung cancer, reducing the lung cancer death rate by up to 20 percent."

Current or former smokers are at the highest risk for lung cancer. For those who qualify based on age and smoking history, low-dose CT scans can detect tiny nodules on the lungs long before symptoms appear.

The scan is non-invasive and uses a significantly lower radiation dose than a standard CT scan, which reduces the risk associated with annual or more frequent examinations.

If a nodule or mass is found, Baton Rouge General's multidisciplinary team provides care coordination, a treatment plan, support from nurse navigators and robotic technology if surgery is needed.

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