Lung Cancer Screening

Lung Cancer Screening in Greenville & Washington County

Low Dose Screening

Designated lung cancer screening center by the american college of radiology

The Medical Center is pleased to offer low-dose CT (LDCT) screenings, a painless, high technology test to reduce the risk of lung cancer. Currently, over 200,000 people per year will be diagnosed with lung cancer and over 155,000 will die. This is more than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. The low-dose CT screenings is the only test proven to significantly reduce lung cancer deaths. LDCT screenings can save up to 20,000 lives per year.

The cost-effective test is covered by most insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. If an individual is not covered, a fee of $99.00 is due at the time of the screening. Physician and nurse practitioner referrals are required to schedule a test. Don’t wait, call your provider today.

Do You Qualify?

No signs of lung cancer
55-77 years of age
Smoking history of at least 1 pack per day for 20 years
Current smoker or quit in the last 15 years

Low Dose Screening Benefits

LDCT scans of the chest produce images of sufficient image quality to detect many lung disease and abnormalities using up to 90 percent less ionizing radiation than a conventional chest CT scan
No radiation remains in a patient’s body after a CT examination
X-rays used in LDCT of the chest scans have no immediate side effects
CT scans are able to detect even very small nodules in the lung
LDCT of the chest is especially effective for diagnosing lung cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage
Lung cancer found by screening with LDCT is often at an earlier stage of disease
Lung cancer screening with LDCT has been proven to reduce the number of deaths from lung cancer in patients at high risk
CT is fast, which is important for patients who have troubling holding their breath
CT scanning is painless and non-invasive
When cancer is found with screenings, patients can more often undergo minimally invasive surgery and have less lung tissue removed

Low Dose Screening Risks

False positive results occur when a test appears to be abnormal but no lung cancer is found. Abnormal findings may require additional testing to determine whether or not cancer is present. These tests, such as additional CT exams or more invasive tests in which a piece of lung tissue is removed (called a biopsy), have risks and my cause a patient anxiety
Test results that appear to be normal even when lung cancer is present are called false-negative results. A person who receives a false-negative test result may delay seeking medical care
Not all of the cancers detected by LDCT will be found in the early stage of the disease. Screening that detects lung cancer may not improve your health or help you live longer if the disease has already spread beyond the lungs to other places in the body
LDCT lung screening and all other screening exams can lead to the detection and treatment of cancer which may never have harmed you. This can result in unnecessary treatment, complications, and cost
There is a theoretical small risk of cancer from exposure to low dose radiation

Talk to your healthcare provider about the low-dose CT lung cancer screening