New Lung Nodule Center Open at UH Parma Medical Center

Center will expedite care for patients with lung nodules detected on chest x-rays and CT scans

UH Clinical Update | November 2019

Lung nodules detected on chest X-rays and CT scans, such as coronary calcium scoring, will receive expedited care through the new Lung Nodule Center at University Hospitals Parma Medical Center – the first of its kind in the UH system. The Center will ensure that patients are seen within a week of the lung nodule's discovery and continually tracked to receive follow-up care.

Lung nodules, which show as a white spot or shadow on a CT scan, are typically too small to cause pain or breathing problems. They are detected in up to half of all adults who get a chest X-ray or CT scan, according to the American Thoracic Society. Lung nodules may be caused by scar tissue, a healed infection, or other irritants. Fewer than 5 percent of all nodules turn out to be cancer, and even in these cases, the cancer is often in early stages. Cancer is more likely in patients who are older and have a history of smoking or other cancer risks.  

“The Lung Nodule Center at UH Parma allows patients expedited access to the highest-quality academic care in the heart of our community," says James Hill, MD, Associate Chief Medical Officer at UH Parma Medical Center. 

Certified Nurse Practitioner Lynda Boldt, CNP, will initially evaluate each patient at the Lung Nodule Center, located within the Community Care Clinic in Medical Arts Center 1, Suite 205, Parma. Lynda will then refer each patient to the appropriate specialist, such as a pulmonologist for bronchoscopy, interventional radiology for biopsy or additional scanning, or thoracic surgeon Christopher Towe, MD, for removal. The Center is overseen by Medical Directors Basel Altaqi, MD, and Daniel Iltchev, MD, who are pulmonologists.

Special appointment openings will be reserved for lung nodule patients. The Lung Nodule Center has established a lung nodule registry to track these patients and ensure follow-up. Patients will continue to be seen by their regular primary care providers for all other medical care.

Boldt notes that an estimated 50,000 patients across the region have lung nodules that are not necessarily tracked and treated. Through this registry, she will be able to determine the right practitioner to follow up for treatment based on the nodule's size, location and characteristics, as well as their risk factors, such as smoking and a family history of cancer.