ECMC screening event brings expert cancer care to community

Every year, more than 116,000 New Yorkers are diagnosed with cancer. The disease continues to rank behind heart disease as the state’s second-leading cause of death; and in Western New York specifically, rates of breast, lung and other cancers continue to trend higher than New York’s averages.

It’s a fight we continue to wage together as a community. But amid this hard work, there’s hope. According to cancer-focused organizations like the American Cancer Society, cancer screening tests—in tandem with preventive measures—continue to help prevent thousands of cancer cases and deaths every year. Combined with expert care and proactive research into disease varietals and the latest treatments, those facing a cancer diagnosis now have more in their corner than ever before—and for those across Western New York, ECMC is proud to chart a path forward.

On Saturday, August 24, the regional cancer-care leader will host a free prevention and screening event at 800 Hertel Avenue in Buffalo from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees who bring a photo ID and insurance card will be able to get screened for oral, colorectal and prostate cancers; be vaccinated against HPV; and receive helpful information about lung cancer screening and about how to prevent these and other cancers.

“An event like this is important because we’re going to be out in the community, not at the hospital,” says Dr. Jennifer Frustino, DDS PhD and Director of ECMC’s Oncology Research Program.  “You don’t have to come to the doctor’s office. We’re going to be there for people who are out doing their Saturday activities and want to stop by.”

Screening events like this are an essential tool for Western New Yorkers, but they’re just one element of ECMC’s comprehensive, community-focused approach to cancer care.

“We want to be the preferred choice for any Western New Yorker or Buffalonian,” says Dr. T. Robert Qaqish, Director of Thoracic Surgery at ECMC. “We want to be the go-to place regardless of what cancer care concern is going on.”

Personalized for a diverse population

ECMC’s Center for Cancer Care offers comprehensive treatment concerning a variety of cancer specialties, including breast, oral/head and neck and thoracic oncology. All offered in a centralized facility and staffed by experienced oncologists and clinicians, services have gained renown and preference for both their convenience and use of the latest cutting-edge technology.

But according to clinicians like Dr. Frustino, there’s more to it than that.

“There’s something special about ECMC,” says Dr. Frustino. “A sense of community exists with the patients that we treat. We have the benefit of helping people that might otherwise not have access to certain care. Because we’re a community hospital, we are a neighborhood hospital—and our connection to our neighborhoods really makes ECMC stand out.”

This community connection drives treatment specific to each patient amid a uniquely diverse population and helps ECMC be an ideal support partner for the City of Good Neighbors.

Accreditations, service advances for patient care   

As ECMC has advanced its cancer care services in recent years, so have its accompanying accreditations, affiliations and treatment capabilities—all for the benefit of its Western New York patients.

In 2022, the hospital earned accreditation from the prestigious American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Cancer, a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer. Additionally, ECMC has been recognized as a Center of Excellence by GO2, a national initiative focused on lung cancer screenings and services, and is now inputting treatment information and results into the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database for ongoing assessment and to improve outcomes.

Additional advancements include advanced utilization of a robotic bronchoscopy platform that allows ECMC to diagnose and treat smaller lung cancers; implementation of a formal lung cancer screening program that makes getting a chest CT scan easier for patients; and over the last three years, the continued growth of ECMC’s Oncology Research Program, with 18 studies and multiple clinical trials now active.

All have helped ECMC enhance its cancer care credentials, but with its focus firmly on those in its host community.

“We’re not just a hospital. We’re a cancer care provider for Western New York, which is a region afflicted with many types of cancers,” says Dr. Frustino. “But by being a community hospital, we’re able to address cancer care needs in a unique and personal way, which is very rewarding for our team.”

Bringing care to the community

Hosting these capabilities within ECMC’s Center for Cancer Care is a tremendous asset for the Western New York community. And with events like its August 24 cancer screening, these tools for treatment—along with educational information that’s essential for ongoing prevention—are brought directly to the community.

“It gives us an opportunity to see patients in a different environment where we wouldn’t [typically] see them,” says Dr. Qaqish. “They wouldn’t come to a hospital just to be educated about lung cancer. So being able to interact with people in their normal, everyday environments gives us that exposure that we wouldn’t otherwise get.”

Meeting patients where they shop, work and live helps ECMC become part of these individuals’ lives. With regular prevention and screening events to reach every corner of the communities it represents, the cancer care leader hopes to help Western New Yorkers lead happier, healthier lives.

“When you detect cancers early, you find them at a more treatable stage, and then you have better outcomes and better survival rates,” says Dr. Frustino. “That’s why these events are so helpful.”

To learn more about ECMC’s August 24 cancer screening event, click here. To learn more about ECMC Cancer Care, click here.