Health and Fitness : Low Dose Lung Cancer Screening available at Virginia Gay Hospital

Andrew Dickson, RT(R)

Lung cancer is the third most common and the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Most patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at advanced stages, and effective early screening strategies are a major public health priority. As with all cancers, early detection is key to a better prognosis.

Low dose CT is a chest CT scan performed at settings to minimize radiation exposure compared to normal CT chest exams. In 2018 it is estimated that 34.8 per 100,000 people got lung cancer. CMS has determined that low dose lung cancer screening is reasonable and necessary for the prevention or early detection of lung cancer.

The goal of lung cancer screening is to enable the detection of lung cancer before it has spread. Medicare, along with many private insurances ( Aetna, Health Alliance, Health Partners, Humana Gold, Human Choice Care, Iowa Medicare, and Tricare) all cover Lung Cancer Screening with Low Dose Computed Tomography for those 55-77 years old, who are asymptomatic, and with a smoking history of at least 20 pack/years, being a current smoker or one who has quit within the last 15 years, and who has an order for a LDCT from their primary care physician.

Schedule an appointment with your primary care physician to review and take advantage of this health screening opportunity, phone: 319-472-6300. In initial trials, lung cancer screening with low dose CT achieved an approximate 16% reduction in lung cancer mortality.