CBMC Now Offering Low Dose CT Lung Screenings for Patients

To help in the fight against lung cancer, low dose CT lung screenings are now available at Citizens Baptist Medical Center.  According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women (not counting skin cancer), and is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined.  Most lung cancers could be prevented, because they are related to smoking (or secondhand smoke), or less often to exposure to radon or other environmental factors. But some lung cancers occur in people without any known risk factors for the disease. It is not yet clear if these cancers can be prevented.

Lung cancer can spread quickly widely and is often at an advanced stage when first found. These cancers are very hard to cure. But in recent years, doctors have found a test that can be used to screen for lung cancer in people at high risk of the disease. This test can help find some of these cancers early, which can lower the risk of dying from this disease.  Citizens Baptist’s Lung Cancer Screening Program provides a comprehensive approach to assessing lung cancer risk and includes the following: 

• A painless, non-invasive low-dose CT scan
• Results and recommendations within a week of screening
• Ongoing communication with referring physicians

In order for patients to participate in a screening, they must meet certain criteria including being between the ages of 55 and 80 years old, having smoked in the last 15 years, and having a history of smoking 30 packs per year (1 pack per day over 30 years or 2 packs per day over 15 years). Additionally, patients much be free of Harrington rods, bullet fragments and active respiratory infections in order to be scanned. They must be able to lay flat with their arms above their head for a short time and willing to go forward with additional tests and procedures, if it becomes necessary. 

In addition to Citizens Baptist Medical Center, Brookwood Baptist Medical Center, Princeton Baptist Medical Center, Shelby Baptist Medical Center and Walker Baptist Medical Center, the Diagnostic Center at Hoover, are all offering this new technology.  For more information on how to schedule a low dose CT screening, contact your local primary care physician for a referral. 

Hospitals outside the state who also have a low dose CT screening program include, Doctors Medical Center, San Ramon Regional Medical Center, Doctors Hospital of Manteca, Baptist Health System, Hilton Head Hospital, Coastal Carolina Hospital, Piedmont Medical Center, St. Vincent Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital and North Shore Medical Center.