BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center will receive $1.5 million in federal funding as part of the fiscal year 2022 federal budget.
The money will be used by Roswell Park to upgrade existing CT equipment at the center and purchase a new CT scanner for its Scott Bieler Amherst Center, opening in 2023.
Roswell Park will use the new imaging equipment to assist in early detection of cancer.
The announcement comes as guidance for adults receiving CT scans has changed. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force now recommends adults ages 50-80 who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years or more, current smokers in that age group, or former smokers in that age group who quit within the last 15 years to receive an annual low-dose CT scan for lung cancer.
In addition to new equipment, Roswell Park is also creating the first free, publicly available lung cancer screening registry. Information on the registry will help the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services track screenings across the country. Its ultimate goal is to improve access to lung cancer screenings to those at higher risk of the disease.
