Mays Cancer Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is proud to announce the American Cancer Society’s continued support for its lung cancer screening program. The gift is a $30,000 contribution to UT Health San Antonio’s Primary Care Center locations to appoint a lung cancer screening navigator and to help raise awareness about the program throughout San Antonio and South Texas.
The program was funded by Crucial Catch, a partnership between the National Football League (NFL) and the American Cancer Society, promoting prevention and early detection of cancer. Known as the 2025 Screening Interventions Program, the initiative is a health care program focused on promoting and improving cancer screening practices across the nation.
“We are thankful for the American Cancer Society’s continued collaboration in advancing our lung cancer screening program,” said Ramon Cancino, MD, MBA, MS, FAAFP, executive director of the Primary Care Center at UT Health San Antonio. “This support is invaluable in helping our multidisciplinary team provide early detection and life-saving care to those at risk. We are improving outcomes and saving lives in the fight against lung cancer in a way that no other integrated academic health system in our region can do.”
The lung cancer screening program began in January 2022 when the screening rate was 18% of eligible primary care patients. Today, the rate has increased to 26%, exceeding the national and Texas lung cancer screening rates of 18% and 1% respectively.
Screenings are conducted with a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), ordered by a patient’s primary care physician. The LDCT has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality. The test enables physicians to detect abnormal growths (nodules) that could signal cancer. Some nodules are noncancerous and do not need treatment. However, nodules can become cancerous over time. The American Cancer Society recommends yearly lung cancer screenings for those who smoke or used to smoke and have at least a 20 pack-year history of smoking.
“Our commitment to UT Health San Antonio allows us to continue our work with the community to ensure we are providing the resources needed for lung cancer screenings,” said Vanessa Maldonado, executive director of the American Cancer Society. “Together we are making great strides to give patients a better chance at a healthier future.”
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and ranks as the second most common cancer in both men and women. This is primarily due to the disease detected at later stages when the cancer has already spread. In Texas, early diagnosis is one of the lowest in the country.
“The lung cancer screening program allows us to offer a crucial tool in early detection,” said Lei Zheng, MD, PhD, executive director of the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, vice president for oncology and professor of medicine at UT Health San Antonio. “With more accessible screening, we can identify high-risk individuals before symptoms develop, allowing for timely intervention and improved quality of life.”
According to the American Cancer Society, some of the risk factors include cigarette smoking, cigar and pipe smoking, plus exposure to radon gas, secondhand smoke, asbestos, certain metals, organic chemicals, radiation, air pollution and diesel exhaust.
Symptoms may not appear when the cancer is advanced. However, they can include persistent cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, shortness of breath and recurrent pneumonia or bronchitis.
UT Health San Antonio’s Mays Cancer Center offers personalized care, with a focus on prevention education, emphasizing the importance of quitting smoking to lower one’s cancer risk. The program also provides advanced testing, using sophisticated procedures when evaluating suspicious nodules without surgery, plus long-term monitoring for small changes in the nodules that may signal cancer.
To learn more about Mays Cancer Center’s specialized cancer care, visit MaysCancerCenter.org/CancerPrograms or call 210-450-1000.