The Temple Healthy Chest Initiative is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program that is designed to provide people in the Philadelphia region access to chest health screening, prevention and treatment options. Our goal is to help more people get screening for lung cancer and other conditions of the chest early, when treatment is most effective. The program can be accessed at all Temple University Hospital campuses and Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Patients who are over 50 years old and have a history of smoking are screened using low-dose computed tomography (CT), which can detect lung nodules that may need lung cancer treatment, or other conditions that need to be addressed.
Addressing Overall Chest Health
While low-dose CT scans can detect lung cancer, it is more likely that they may reveal other conditions in your chest such as COPD, emphysema, heart disease, osteoporosis, sleep apnea, diabetes, and other cancers. Patients who are eligible for this screening are at a higher risk for these conditions. Getting screened is the first step for patients who want to be proactive about their health. When patients are diagnosed with chest conditions earlier, they are able to better benefit from treatment.
Personalized Support from Nurse Navigators
The Temple Healthy Chest Initiative offers highly personalized service with a dedicated nurse navigator who will prescreen patients for other health conditions that they may not have known about. No more waiting in person for results – after the scan, patients can return to the comfort of their home, and Temple Health’s nurse navigator will call them to explain the results and help to coordinate any follow up care that is needed. Nurse navigators also connect patients with Temple’s virtual and in-person support groups, smoking cessation programs, and other services.
To schedule an appointment for a lung cancer screening at one of our 5 convenient locations call 800-TEMPLE-MED (800-836-7536). Temple Health has also expanded our lung cancer program to include more flexible hours.
