The Department of Veteran's Affairs, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Vista Expertise Network
The McGuire Research Institute, Carl T. Hayden Medical Research Foundation, Houston VA Research and Education Foundation, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the International Lung Cancer Action Program Early Detection and Treatment Foundation (IELCAP) and Vista Expertise Network will receive $5,828,550 over three years to collaborate on the Partnership to increase Access to Lung cancer Screening (VA-PALS) Implementation Network. The project will improve Veterans’ access to lung cancer screening through implementation of the evidence-based I-ELCAP screening program and protocol at 10 VA medical centers.
Need
Veterans represent a population that is at a particularly high risk for developing lung cancer. This is because millions of soldiers have served in complex work environments that increased their rates of smoking and exposures to carcinogenic chemicals. A recent query of the VA Cancer Cube demonstrates that 77,930 Veterans were diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) between 2006-2015. Unfortunately, the majority (58%) presented with advanced stage III-IV disease, which is often incurable and carries a 5-year overall survival rate of only 2-13%.
Project
The VA-PALS project is designed to increase Veterans’ access to lung cancer screening, increase the likelihood of early detection, and ultimately reduce the mortality rate of lung cancer. To achieve this goal, it will implement a comprehensive lung cancer screening patient management system at 10 VA medical centers through a partnership between Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, the VistA Expertise Network, the VA Center for Innovation, the VA National Teleradiology Program and the VA Office of Rural Health.
Project Leader
Dr. Drew Moghanaki, drew.moghanaki@gmail.com