This simple and quick chest screening uses a special CT at a lower dose of radiation than the typical CT scan. Like mammograms to detect breast disease or PSA blood tests to detect prostate disease, the lung screening is another tool in the early detection of cancer, when there are more options for treatment and possibilities for better outcomes.
Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cause of cancer death. When caught in its earliest stages, lung cancer has a cure rate of better than 50% (according to the American Lung Association). The fourth leading cause of death - COPD - is often preventable and treatable. Other lung diseases may be caused by known carcinogens like radon and asbestos.
For the screening, which is conducted at our hospital in Pittsfield, patients will need an order from their healthcare provider. Priced at $250, the screening's price is a fraction of the annual cost of cigarettes. If any abnormalities are discovered by the screening, the resulting tests and treatments would be covered by most patients’ insurance coverage plans.
For more information about the screening or help with making an appointment, call 487.4037 (tty 487.4590).
An actual CT image of a long-term smoker (pack of cigarettes in shirt pocket is visible) - double-click to increase size