CT Screening for Lung Cancer

Are you at risk for developing lung cancer?

If so, early detection through a lung cancer CT screening exam could help save your life.

CT Lung Cancer Screening Criteria

If you fit the criteria listed below, you are likely to qualify and benefit from a low-dose CT Lung Cancer Screening. To learn more, talk with your primary care physician about the risks and benefits of this valuable screening tool if you...

• Are between the ages of 50 and 80 years old (Medicare covers up to age 77)
• Are a current smoker or previous smoker who has quit within the past 15 years
• Have a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years (1 pack a day for 20 years, or 2 packs a day for 10 years)

If you have any of the following symptoms, but are not a current candidate for lung cancer screening, you should make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your symptoms.

• New or changing cough
• Shortness of breath that you’ve never felt before
• Coughing up blood
• Unexplained weight loss
• Chest pain
• Fever

What is Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening?

This non-invasive, painless low-dose procedure screens the lungs for cancer. It is performed on a computed tomography (CT) and can detect smaller modules or cancer better than a traditional chest x-ray. The radiation exposure from a low-dose CT lung cancer screening is about the same as you’d experience on a flight from New York to Los Angeles.

Why Should I Get Screened?

If you are determined to be at high-risk for lung cancer, early detection can save your life and has been tied to significantly better outcomes/survival rates. Unfortunately, three out of four patients with lung cancer have incurable, locally advanced or metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, leading to poor survival rates. When lung cancer is detected at its earliest stage and treated surgically, survival rates are around ten times better than those diagnosed with Stage IV disease.

How do I schedule the procedure?

A CT lung cancer screening requires a physician’s order. Therefore, you are encouraged to discuss the benefits of a lung cancer screening with your primary care physician. Once your physician has ordered the screening, you will be contacted by a scheduler to set-up your appointment. Should you have any questions about the screening or need next-steps guidance, contact our Lung & Chest Health team at 919-350-LUNG (5864).