Stephen Deppen

March 27, 2023

Improving lung nodule diagnosis

Adding blood and imaging biomarkers to a clinical prediction model could improve diagnostic accuracy for the 1.6 million lung nodules detected each year, many through expanded lung cancer screening programs.

By Leigh MacMillan

October 29, 2020

Surgery risk model proves invaluable during pandemic

When Gov. Bill Lee halted all elective, or scheduled rather than urgent, surgical procedures in Tennessee on March 19 in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 and conserve medical supplies and equipment, surgical and administrative leaders at Vanderbilt University Medical Center began seeking solid data to drive any future decision to safely restart these procedures.

By Jill Clendening

April 18, 2019

Team explores fungal infection quandary in lung cancer screenings

Serving a region that lies within the tobacco belt, clinicians at Vanderbilt Health face challenges distinguishing lung cancer from histoplasmosis, a fungal infection that creates cancer-mimicking lesions in the lungs.

By Tom Wilemon

September 14, 2018

New histoplasmosis risk map

The new mapping approach, called suitability score mapping, should improve public health assessments and interventions for geographic-specific infections.

By Bill Snyder

September 24, 2014

Study finds accuracy of lung cancer imaging varies by region

A new analysis of published studies found that FDG-PET technology is less accurate in diagnosing lung cancer versus benign disease in regions where infections like histoplasmosis or tuberculosis are common.

By VUMC News and Communications