Great Plains Health
North Platte, Neb. - Great Plains Health has joined the annual statewide effort organized by the Nebraska Cancer Coalition (NC2) to heighten awareness of lifesaving lung cancer screening during November, Lung Cancer Awareness month.
Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in Nebraska for both men and women. In 2024, the American Cancer Society estimates 1,190 new cases and 700 deaths from lung cancer in Nebraska. The stage of diagnosis strongly affects outcomes. The most recent Nebraska data indicates that the 5-year relative survival rates for lung cancer are 63% for early-stage diagnoses, while rates for later-stage cases fall to 35% for regional diagnoses and 3% for distant diagnoses. The American Lung Association reported that in 2023, only 3.7% of Nebraskans at high risk for lung cancer were screened.
"When we detect cancer early in stage one or two, the treatment approach is completely different," stated Dr. Molina, Pulmonologist at Great Plains Health. "Early detection in the beginning stages significantly improves quality of life for our patients. Screening is our best tool in this fight - it's always better to prevent or catch something early rather than late in the game."
Screening for lung cancer with a yearly low-dose CT scan for those at high risk can reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to 20% by detecting tumors at early stages when they are more likely to be curable according to the American Lung Association
(ALA). Lung cancer screening is recommended by the CDC for people ages 50-80 years with a 20+ pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. It is critical that we spread the word that in order to Breathe Easy, Nebraskans should get screened for lung cancer.
About Great Plains Health
Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Great Plains Health is a fully accredited, 116-bed acute-care regional medical center serving western and central Nebraska, northern Kansas and southern South Dakota. With 90 physicians representing nearly 30 medical
specialties, the Great Plains Health system offers advanced health care, including heart and vascular, cancer, and orthopedic surgery services. Great Plains Health is a Level III trauma center, and all of its emergency department physicians are residency-trained and board-certified in emergency medicine. The system employs approximately 1,200 employees and serves a geographic area spanning more than 67,000 square miles. The hospital is accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and is home to an American College of Surgeons-accredited cancer center and Level II bariatric surgery program. For more information, visit gphealth.org.
About Nebraska Cancer Coalition
The Nebraska Cancer Coalition (NC2) is a nonprofit organization that serves all 93 counties in Nebraska. NC2's membership and partners include health systems, providers, associations, cancer survivors and individuals. Together we aspire to achieve our mission of connecting people and resources to strengthen cancer prevention, detection, and quality of life in Nebraska. NC2 works towards implementing the goals and objectives of our strategic plan. Our vision is to ultimately Conquer Cancer Together.