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ON THE DAY OF YOUR
Lung Screening CT Scan
REASONS TO
Quit Smoking
I will:
1. reduce my chances of having a heart attack or stroke.
2. reduce my chances of getting lung cancer, emphysema,
and other lung diseases.
3. have better smelling clothes, hair, breath, home, and car.
4. climb stairs and walk without getting out of breath.
5. have fewer wrinkles.
To schedule your appointment, please call
617-983-7020. This test should be performed
when you are in your best usual state of health.
If you are not at your best, please call to reschedule
your appointment at no additional charge.
6. be free of my morning cough.
1. Wear loose-fitting clothes without metal above the
9. treat myself to new books or music with the money I save
from not buying cigarettes.
waist if you prefer not to change into an exam gown.
7. reduce the number of coughs, colds, and earaches my
child will have.
8. have more energy to pursue physical activities I enjoy.
10. have more control over my life.
2. You may eat and drink without restriction before the
examination.
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/q_smoke/top_ten.htm
BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S FAULKNER HOSPITAL’S
Lung Cancer
Screening Program
3. Plan to arrive 15-20 minutes prior to your
appointment to allow for parking and registration.
4. You will be asked to fill out a questionnaire that will
help us to assess your personal risk of lung cancer.
5. The CT technologist will guide you through the brief,
painless CT scan. You will be asked to hold your breath
briefly during the scan.
6. The report of your examination will be sent to the
physician who ordered it for you.
We can help!
Visit BWFH Patient/Family
Resource Center on the 3rd floor
MA Quit line 1-800-QUITNOW
(1-800-784-8669)
Speak to your Primary Care Physician or Healthcare Provider
to confirm if you are eligible for the program or to schedule
a CT Lung Cancer Screening exam
Breathe easily with
early detection...
Early Detection Saves Lives!
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer
death for men and women
Nearly 160,000 Americans die of lung
cancer each year.
The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) found
more than 20 percent fewer deaths from lung
cancer in participants who received three annual
lung cancer screening CT scans compared with those
who received three annual chest x-rays. By the time
symptoms such as cough, weight loss, and bloody
sputum develop, lung cancer may not be curable.
Identification of lung cancer before symptoms
develop offers the best chance for survival.
Risk Factors for Lung Cancer
Cigarette smoking and other use of tobacco
products is the single greatest risk factor for
developing lung cancer. More than 85 percent of
lung cancers are smoking related. Although the risk
of lung cancer decreases over time after quitting,
50 percent of lung cancers now occur in former
smokers. The risk of lung cancer increases with
increasing age and with some chronic lung diseases.
Additional risk factors such as second-hand
smoke and occupational exposures are less well
understood.
FAQs
Reducing Your Risk of Lung Cancer
Quitting smoking is the most important thing you
can do to decrease your risk of lung cancer and
other debilitating lung diseases.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(PPACA or “Obamacare”) requires insurers to provide
at least minimum coverage for evidence-based
smoking cessation treatments, including medication
and counseling.
Risks and Benefits of Screening CT
Screening CT scans can lead to improvements
in health through identification of chronic lung
diseases as well as lung cancer. Partial imaging
of adjacent tissues, including thyroid gland, aorta
and kidneys may lead to the recommendation of
additional testing.
Screening CT scan Results
No screening test is perfect, and not all lung cancer
will be detected by CT screening. Most lung nodules
identified on screening CT will prove to be benign
based on their stability in CT appearance over time. A follow-up CT scan may be recommended more
often than yearly to assess this stability. A small
number of lung nodules may require a biopsy or
other invasive procedure.
Minimizing Risk from Radiation
The radiation dose is similar to that of screening
mammography. The CT examination is directed to
the lungs and minimizes inclusion of adjacent tissues.
What is Screening CT?
Screening Computerized Tomography (CT)
uses special x-ray technology and computer
processing to create pictures of body tissues
and organs.
What is the goal of screening?
The goal of screening is to save lives by finding
lung cancer before symptoms occur. It is much
harder to treat lung cancer after symptoms
develop.
How effective is Screening CT at
preventing death from lung cancer?
Using Screening CT has been shown to decrease
deaths from lung cancer by more than 20
percent in people who are at high risk.
How is the exam performed?
Screening CT is one of the easiest screening
exams you can have. The exam takes only a
few minutes. No medications are given, and no
needles are used. You can eat before and after
the exam. You do not even need to get changed
as long as the clothing on your chest does not
contain metal. Ideally, you should be able to
hold your breath for at least 6 seconds.