Announcing the introduction of the Early Lung Cancer Detection component of the Worker Health Protection Program (WHPP), a medical screening program for former Nevada Test Site workers. The new component of the program will introduce low-dose CT scans to at-risk former NTS workers with the primary goal of detecting lung cancer early, when treatment is more likely to be effective.
The official opening ceremony was on Wednesday, August 8th at 11:00 a.m. at the Atomic Testing Museum, 755 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV. The ceremony featured brief remarks by key program stakeholders, including government, union, medical and former worker representatives.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized that workers in DOE facilities were exposed to lung carcinogens such as radiation, silica, asbestos and beryllium. In 2011, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) published a study confirming a reduction in mortality in high-risk individuals who were screened for lung cancer with a low-dose CT scan as compared to those screened with chest X-rays. This landmark study has increased DOE support and has allowed us to implement the use of low-dose CT scan program for at-risk former NTS workers. The medical screening program is operated by Queens College of the City University of New York, with funds provided by the DOE.
Also, please find a link to the NCI study below:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1102873
If you have any questions at all, need more information or would like an interview with our program director, Dr. Lew Pepper, please be in touch to my contact information below.
Regards,
Jonathan Corbin, MPH
Outreach Coordinator
Worker Health Protection Program
CBNS, Queens College
718-670-4228 (Phone)
718-670-4167 (Fax)
www.worker-health.org