After years of efforts, CancerCare Manitoba says an organized lung cancer screening program is “months away” for the province, pending some final details being sorted out.
Dr. Donna Turner, vice-president and chief of population oncology at CancerCare Manitoba, told 680 CJOB that work dates back to before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve been working at this for a long time,” she said. “We had to look at the capacity that we have for lung cancer screening. The good news is that we do have the CT capacity.”
Testing for lung cancer uses low-dose CT scanning, which medical staff can use to locate a tumor and determine its size. The x-rays can also identify other anomalies in the lungs, including enlarged lymph nodes.
Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick do not currently offer organized screening for lung cancer. Unlike doctor-ordered cancer tests, organized screenings operate based on an explicit policy which defines the population that is at the highest risk and contacts them in the hopes of detecting an early stage of cancer.
Saskatchewan, Alberta, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador are all piloting or have partially implemented screening programs. In Ontario and British Columbia, the programs are in full effect provincewide.
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Kelly Graham-Miele was originally diagnosed with stage three lung cancer in 2013. She had pushed for a screening at her annual physical after being urged to by her children, who had recently learned about smoking and lung cancer in school.
“Frankly, I actually even was surprised by my diagnosis because I did mention I had a history [of smoking cigarettes], but the amount I smoked wouldn’t have even qualified me for any type of screening initiatives,” Graham-Miele said.
“When I was first diagnosed, I prayed that I’d live long enough to see my oldest graduate high school. And both of my kids have graduated university.”
One of the remaining barriers to expanded services in Manitoba is the need for an upgraded IT system. Money for that project has been secured, but the pandemic slowed progress and extended the lag on lung cancer screening, Turner said.
“I think we’re months away because we do need to address this issue with the parent radiology system first,” she added.
“Lung cancer screening will be right up there as soon as we can.”
Approximately 1,000 people in Manitoba will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, according to Turner. She said 600 Manitobans die annually of lung cancer.
She said a priority for the new system will be ensuring the care is spread throughout rural parts of Manitoba, rather than being based solely in Winnipeg.
Turner’s update came on the same day as a progress report on lung cancer screening across Canada, which was published by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.
Craig Earle, CEO of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, spoke with Global News Wednesday morning before Turner appeared on CJOB. He said lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada, partly because it is often detected in the later stages.
“Screening is able to chance that,” he added.
In Manitoba, residents can receive a referral from their health care provider, but Earle said that may not be enough.
“Organized [screening] programs are very important because research has shown, including research here in Canada, that without organized programs we’re not always reaching those at the highest risk,” he said.
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