Lung Nodule Program

Patients in our region have a significantly higher rate of new lung cancer diagnoses compared to the national average. Covenant Health Fort Sanders Regional is the first hospital in East Tennessee to implement robotic-assisted bronchoscopy technology. Patients who need a procedure to determine whether a lung mass or lung nodule(s) is cancerous are referral candidates.

Our program has a patient-centric approach. A designated lung nodule navigator helps patients who are receiving care, supporting individualized plan outcomes and providing referring physicians with progress updates.

Lung nodules are discovered through various types of screenings. Some may be found through a regular imaging scan in an emergency, inpatient, outpatient or primary care setting.

However, low-dose CT scans are recommended as an optimal tool for lung cancer screening. Low-dose scans are generally recommended for people ages 50-77 who have smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years, have a past history of cancer, or have been exposed to potentially carcinogenic substances.

Covenant Health offers Lung Cancer Screenings at multiple locations throughout our region.