MCV begins offering new lung screenings to catch cancer earlier

Mason Brown
Contributing Writer

Where there is smoke, there could be cancer.

VCU Medical Center is now offering low-dose CT scans to patients that are at high risk for lung cancer. The low-dose, helical CT scans are more effective than the traditional chest x-ray and can decrease one’s chance of death from lung cancer by up to 20 percent with the recommended three annual scans.

Previous lung cancer patients would often not get tested until the cancer was far enough along to produce advanced symptoms. Often by this time in the disease, treatment options become more limited. The new screening allows for the possibility of earlier detection for high-risk patients. Allowing the detection of the cancer before it spreads beyond the lungs can lead to more timely and more effective treatment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking causes between 85 and 90 percent of lung cancer cases. Anyone who smokes, even semi-regularly, is at high risk for lung cancer. Other causes can be radon and heavy pollution in the work place or home.

The test costs about $300 and most likely is not yet covered by insurance.

While the cost may seem steep, it is more affordable than one may think.

“Right now, most insurance plans do not cover the cost of the initial CT screening, but for current smokers, the cost of screening is just a fraction of what is spent in a day, month or year on their cigarettes,” Mark Parker, M.D., professor of diagnostic radiology and internal medicine in the VCU School of Medicine, said in a press release.

“For example, the average smoker spends about $5.50 per pack of cigarettes each day … this averages about $165.00 per month or almost $2,000 per year. A fraction of the cost of the screening CT.”

For more information on the scan, call 804-828-3768, or visitwww.vculungscan.com. For information on quitting tobacco visit The Well or contact Linda Hancock by email at quit@vcu.edu or call her at 828-7815