ROCKVILLE, MD - The Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) today announced that RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers Cancer Institute, and Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey received a 2024 ACCC Innovator Award.
RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers Cancer Institute, and Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, was recognized for their program that automates detection of precancerous pancreas lesions (pancreas cysts) and heightens pancreatic cancer detection. The ACCC Innovator Awards recognize cancer programs that have developed and implemented creative and cost-effective solutions that improve cancer care delivery for patients.
Russell Langan, MD, FACS, FSSO, associate chief surgical officer, system integration and quality & director of surgical oncology, northern region, RWJBarnabas Health, developed this award-winning program in partnership with Denver-based health-technology firm Eon. It is an AI-driven incidental findings program that identifies and then monitors pancreatic abnormalities to improve the quality of care to patients who are at increased risk for developing pancreatic cancer. The patient management software integrates with the electronic health record and facilitates patient identification, risk assessment, care plan tracking, patient and provider communication, outcomes recording, and registry functionality.
In the 2 years since the cancer program implemented this AI-solution, they have seen a 225% increase in pancreas cyst screening and surveillance identification. In addition, the software accurately identified 96 cancers as described below:
- 60/96 (62.5%) of patients had newly diagnosed cancers at the time of first imaging which was accurately captured by Eon.
- 55/96 (57%) were new incidental pancreas cancers.
- From these pancreas cancers, 20/55 (36.4%) were metastatic and 35/55 (63.6%) were non-metastatic.
- 6/96 were non-pancreas cancers that were identified by the software. These cancers included gastric cancer (n=2), colon cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and lymphoma, and ampullary adenoma, another precancerous condition.
“The introduction of AI into our pancreas surveillance and cancer care program has no doubt improved quality of care, not only for patients living at risk for the development of pancreas cancer but also for patients with newly diagnosed cancers since the software has the ability to expeditiously move these patients into appropriate care teams. Our new software has improved our ability to detect early stages of various cancers and has been a massive benefit to our patient care. To see this positive impact and to see our work recognized by ACCC is extremely meaningful,” said Dr. Langan
This fall, Langan and his colleagues at RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers Cancer Institute, and Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center will present their AI solution to oncology professionals from across the country at the ACCC 41st National Oncology Conference. Get to know this award-winning program in their ACCCBuzz interview. More details about RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers Cancer Institute, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center’s innovation, including a short, are on the ACCC website, and in an interview with Langan on an episode of the CANCER BUZZ podcast, out now.
To learn more about the pancreatic cyst surveillance program, visit: rwjbh.org/cyst. More information about the ACCC Innovator Award sessions and the full agenda at the upcoming National Oncology conference can be found on the ACCC website.
About The Association of Cancer Care Centers
The Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) is the leading education and advocacy organization for the cancer care community. Founded in 1974, ACCC is a powerful network of 43,000 multidisciplinary practitioners from 2,100 hospitals and practices nationwide. As advances in cancer screening and diagnosis, treatment options, and care delivery models continue to evolve - so has ACCC - adapting its resources to meet the changing needs of the entire oncology care team. For more information, visit accc-cancer.org. Follow us on social media; read our blog, ACCCBuzz; tune in to our CANCER BUZZ podcast; and view our CANCER BUZZ TV channel.
About Eon
Eon is the world leader in Intelligent Care. Founded in 2015 by interventional pulmonologist, Dr. Aki Al-Zubaidi, Eon was born from his first-hand experience treating patients with lung cancer. After years on the front lines, Dr. Aki saw his patients fall through the cracks whose lives could have been saved if only we had better care systems in place. Eon pairs cutting-edge healthcare intelligence with world-class human care to create sea change for both patients and hospitals.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Krista Didzbalis
732.507.8307
krista.didzbalis2@rwjbh.org