GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer Expands Early Detection Efforts to Include Incidental Pulmonary Nodules (IPN) to Save More Lives

SAN CARLOS, Calif. and WASHINGTON, June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To help diagnose early-stage lung cancer when it is more treatable and even curable, GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer (GO2 Foundation) is expanding its early detection efforts to include incidental pulmonary nodule (IPN) management. Each year in the U.S. an estimated 1.57 million IPNs are encountered on patient CT scans conducted for diagnostic reasons unrelated to lung cancer, with 4 percent – or 63,000 – of these IPNs leading to a lung cancer diagnosis within two years.

People with IPNs make up the largest segment of asymptomatic lung cancer patients, yet two-thirds of IPNs are not currently managed. GO2 Foundation is prioritizing this work to identify and track suspicious nodules and malignancies alongside existing screening efforts, further advancing early detection for even more people. 

"While lung cancer screening has gone a long way to improving early detection of lung cancer, our Centers of Excellence report that 50 percent of patients diagnosed with lung cancer through an incidental finding do not currently meet screening criteria, leaving them vulnerable to developing later-stage disease if otherwise not found and managed," said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, co-founder, president and CEO of GO2 Foundation. "GO2 Foundation's new IPN initiative will give health care providers additional tools to diagnose lung cancer early, when it's more treatable and even curable."

To broadly implement the new IPN initiative, GO2 Foundation is working with its 850 Center of Excellence (COE) health care facilities throughout the country to identify best practices on IPN management and provide guidance to sites who have not yet adopted this approach. As part of its early detection offerings, GO2 Foundation has developed a thoracic oncology business model that includes both lung cancer screening and IPN management and is designed to help teams financially plan to build and grow their programs. Many innovative and pioneering COEs are already demonstrating clinical impact with their IPN programs. 

"It is extremely important that facilities have a process to identify, track and manage incidental lung nodules," said Dr. Debra S. Dyer, FACR, member of GO2 Foundation's Scientific Leadership Board (SLB), member of the IPN Task Force, and professor and chair of the Department of Radiology at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado. "Having a well-organized process for monitoring IPNs is a valuable adjunct to formal lung cancer screening programs. The goal is the early detection of a lung cancer whether identified though screening or a robust IPN program."

In addition, GO2 Foundation is proud to be partnering with Biodesix who is providing strategic guidance, as well as collaborating with COE experts to form an IPN Task Force. The IPN Task Force is creating a toolkit that will include IPN education, program implementation, growth/optimization, as well as exploring research opportunities to study patients who are diagnosed incidentally with the goal of providing further evidence for lung cancer risk factors. 

Members of GO2 Foundation's IPN Task Force include: 

• Bart Daugherty, AVP Clinical Technology, LifePoint Health, TN 
• Wendi Waugh, Administrative Director, South Ohio Medical Center, OH 
• Dr. Debra Dyer, Radiologist, National Jewish Hospital, CO 
• Dr. Krish Bhadra, Pulmonologist, CHI Memorial Hospital, TN 
• Dr. Michael Gieski, Primary Care Provider, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, KY 
• Dr. Mathew Ninan, Thoracic Surgeon, Medical Center of Trinity, FL 
• Dr. Kyle Hogarth, Pulmonologist, University of Chicago, IL 
• Dr. Susan Garwood, Pulmonologist, HCA Healthcare, TN 
• Dr. Neil Horning, MercyOne Pulmonologist, IA 
• Dr. Bobby Mahajan, Pulmonologist, Inova Health System, VA 
• Dr. Michael Pritchett, Pulmonologist, FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, NC
• Cheryl Campbell, Navigator, Blount Memorial Hospital, TN 
• Stephanie Gerardin, Navigator, Dignity Health St. Joseph Medical Center, AZ 

To launch the initiative, GO2 Foundation will be hosting a series of free educational webinars. The first webinar entitled "The Multidisciplinary Voices on Incidental Pulmonary Nodules" will take place on June 14 at 7 PM EST. Healthcare team members and others interested in learning more about IPN programs are welcome to attend by registering here.   

For more information on GO2 Foundation's early detection program, IPN initiative, thoracic oncology business model, webinar series, and how to join the COE network, please contact Kim Parham RN, BSN, CN-BN and Director, Quality Care and Clinical Relations at 650-779-8286 or [email protected].

GO2 Foundation gratefully acknowledges AstraZeneca and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group for their commitment and support of this program.

About GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer
Founded by patients and survivors, GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer transforms survivorship as the world's leading organization dedicated to saving, extending, and improving the lives of those vulnerable, at risk, and diagnosed with lung cancer. The GO2 Foundation serves and listens to those living with and at risk for lung cancer to reduce stigma, improve quality of life and increase survival. They empower its community by helping people navigate the paths of early detection, diagnosis and treatment. Insights allow the GO2 Foundation to improve care, amplify awareness, drive advocacy and lead research with the vision of doubling the five-year survival rate by 2025. For more information, visit https://go2foundation.org.

SOURCE GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer

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