Our Daily Show Interview! OSF Healthcare Low-Dose CT Clinic And Upcoming Screenings!
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ALTON - OSF St. Anthony’s Moeller Cancer Center will host low-dose CT clinics to identify and diagnose lung cancer.
Dana Matesa, RN, and Brandy Baxley, APRN, CNP, stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello to talk about the importance of early detection and regular screenings. They explained that the low-dose CT clinic is available to anyone between 50–80 years or age who has a 20-year smoking history or who has quit smoking in the last 15 years.
“If you meet those criteria, then you qualify for a low-dose CT,” explained Matesa. “Most insurance will cover it as a screening, but if not, sometimes there are other options.”
OSF St. Anthony’s Moeller Cancer Center began offering these screenings earlier this month. Patients can self-refer or be referred by a primary care doctor.
Baxley noted that the low-dose CT clinic is the only way to detect lung cancer. If they identify other masses or nodules, the team at the center will make sure to schedule follow-up appointments and refer patients as necessary. Baxley emphasized that patients will get the referrals and appointments they need before they leave the center.
“So many people just don’t know what the next steps are, where to go, how to get in touch,” she said. “Say they need a follow-up scan in three months; they’ll leave with an appointment for that. If they need a PET scan, they’ll leave with an appointment for that. Anything that they need, or if they need to be sent to another specialty, anything that they need at that time, we will get them set up before they even leave the building.”
Baxley and Matesa noted the OSF St. Anthony service area — Macoupin, Madison, Jersey and Greene Counties — has higher rates of lung cancer than the average in Illinois. They stressed the importance of early detection.
“The goal is to find cancer at an early enough stage to be cured and to resolve some of the sleepless nights for some of these patients,” Baxley explained. “If we can get them in and we can get them screened and then move them along quickly in that process, this will help.”
In the coming months, OSF St. Anthony’s Moeller Cancer Center will offer additional cancer screenings. From 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on April 7, 2025, community members can stop by the center for a free skin cancer screening. They also plan to have free prostate cancer screenings available in the next few months, with more information to be announced.
The Moeller Cancer Center will also host a fish fry on Friday, April 4, 2025, to raise money for Team Hope and the American Cancer Society. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 4, community members can enjoy fried fish, homemade chips, coleslaw and dessert for $12 a plate. All money goes back to Team Hope. You can purchase tickets by calling the Moeller Cancer Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Ultimately, Baxley and Matesa hope the low-dose CT clinics and additional screenings will bring awareness to the community about early detection. They want to help people get diagnosed and begin treatment as soon as possible.
“We want to help patients,” Baxley said. “We all love our jobs over at the cancer center, and that’s our goal. We want to help patients. We want to get them screened and diagnosed in a timely manner. We would love to see cancer become fully curable, but until that happens, we are there to help.”
For more information about the Moeller Cancer Center, call 618-433-7600. To learn more about the low-dose CT clinics and whether you qualify, contact Matesa at 618-433-7607.
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