On Saturday, Nov. 9, the ACS National Lung Cancer Roundtable promoted the third annual National Lung Cancer Screening Day in partnership with GO2 for Lung Cancer, Radiology Health Equity Coalition, and American College of Radiology.

Early detection saves lives, yet fewer than 1 in 10 eligible individuals are screened for lung cancer. This initiative aims to address a major barrier to access by encouraging screening centers to open their doors on a Saturday. With most centers operating Monday through Friday, patients who can’t take time off work face significant challenges in getting screened.

More than 675 organizations and individuals, including 125 Veterans Affairs Screening Centers, joined forces to host and promote National Lung Cancer Screening Day events, with an incredible 40% of participating sites signing up for the first time this year. The initiative generated nearly 15,000 impressions and 600 engagements across ACS NLCRT’s social media channels, and the President’s Cancer Panel further amplified ACS NLCRT’s message, applauding this effort as a meaningful step toward closing the gap in access to lung cancer screening.

Michigan hosted the most sites at 48, with Illinois a close second with 47. 

“We were able to get other providers to volunteer their time and added skin checks, mammograms, and oral/head/neck cancer screenings. With this, we had over 60 participants total. It increased awareness of the event,” said Lily Birkeland of the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

“Because our site is open on Saturday, we did a CME education event that was open to clinicians and the public on lung cancer screening and lung cancer. Many nurses attending who were not educated about filling out the smoking history in Epic to have the health maintenance queue the PCP to order a lung cancer screening. We are hoping this education will help increase our number of screenings,” said Jennifer Aversano of Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital.