Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., director of the UVM Cancer Center and professor of medicine

(JULY 15, 2022) UVM Cancer Center director Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., told the Burlington Free Press that the center, together with the Dartmouth Cancer Center and Vermonters Taking Action Against Cancer, has launched a campaign to increase screening for lung cancer — the leading cause of cancer death in Vermont and the country.

“If they’re detected early, local tumors can be removed surgically, and that can be curative for many lung cancer patients,” Holcombe said in a news release. “By the time you have symptoms, like pain or coughing blood, the cancer may have spread, and the outlook is much less positive.”

Screening for lung cancer takes a few minutes in a CT scan machine, using a low radiation dose technique. It’s far less claustrophobia-inducing than an MRI scanner. There are several accredited lung cancer screening facilities in the state, including the UVM Medical Center in Burlington and at the Fanny Allen Campus, as well as in Windsor, Newport, St. Johnsbury, St. Albans, and Rutland.