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Lung Screening with Low-dose CT

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Lung Screening with Low-dose CT

A lung screening can find lung cancer early, when it’s easier to treat. At Baptist Health, we use a low-dose CT scan with less radiation than a typical CT scan. Radiologists review the X-ray images of the lungs and look for spots called lung nodules. Your provider uses the results to create your personalized treatment plan.

You can expect a lung screening experience that emphasizes:

  • Comfort. Our team is friendly and focused on your care experience.
  • High-quality images. Our low-dose CT scanners use the latest technology. Baptist Health’s lung screening program is part of the American College of Radiation’s Lung Cancer Screening Registry.
  • Convenience. Our many imaging locations make getting care easier.

Who Should Get a Lung Cancer Screening with Low-dose CT?

Anyone who uses nicotine or has used it in the past should ask their provider about a lung screening. That includes people with a history of smoking, vaping or chewing tobacco. You may also want a lung screening if you work or spend time in environments with known carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals).

The American Cancer Society recommends yearly lung cancer screenings for people who:

  • Are ages 50 to 80
  • Smoke or used to smoke
  • Have at least a 20-pack-year history of smoking (e.g., smoking 1 pack a day for 20 years or 2 packs a day for 10 years)

What Can I Expect at My Lung Screening Appointment?

Getting a lung cancer screening is a quick and painless way to protect your health. Your lung screening appointment will take about 30 minutes total, including 10 minutes for the screening itself.

  • Continue your normal activities before the screening. Leave metal accessories and jewelry at home.

    Bring the following items to your appointment:

    • Your prescription for the CT scan (a physical copy if possible)
    • Your ID
    • Your insurance card (if you’re using your benefits for the scan)

  • A CT technologist will greet you and ask you to remove any metal accessories or jewelry. You’ll remove your top and put on a gown we provide. You will go to the CT room and lie on a table. Your technologist will ask you to stretch your arms overhead. During the CT scan, your technologist will ask you to take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and release it. You’ll repeat this breathing pattern two to three times. After the scan, you’ll change back into your top and head home. You can continue your normal activities as planned.

  • A radiologist will review your scan and create a report for the referring physician or medical professional who prescribed the screening. Your provider will then develop your care plan based on the radiologist’s recommendations. If a lung nodule is discovered, your provider may want to continue monitoring your lungs, order further imaging or test the tissue for cancer.

    Your results will be ready within 48 hours of your appointment. You can receive your results at the same time as your provider through the PineApp.

What Are the Risks or Side Effects of a Lung Cancer Screening with Low-dose CT?

Your Baptist Health team will do everything they can to provide a comfortable lung screening experience. Because the amount of radiation used in a low-dose CT is so small, it’s unlikely to cause side effects. A lung screening CT does not use injections, so there is no risk of allergic reaction.

How Do I Get a Lung Cancer Screening?

You need a prescription from your provider to get a low-dose CT scan. Talk to your primary provider about getting a lung screening and ask for a physical copy of your prescription you can bring to your screening appointment.

How Much Does a Lung Screening Cost?

The cost of your lung screening depends on your insurance coverage. After your provider prescribes a low-dose CT scan, our Preregistration and Authorization Department will confirm the price with you. You can also contact your insurance company directly to learn more about pricing.

If your insurance does not cover a lung screening, you can choose to self-pay. Baptist Health offers promotional pricing for self-pay lung screenings at select locations.

Baptist Health has locations from Palm Beach to Monroe County.

Baptist Health is here to support you through every stage of your lung screening process. Select a convenient location on the map to schedule your low-dose CT lung screening at one of our diagnostic imaging locations.

Learn About Lung Cancer Screenings.

At Baptist Health, we want you to have the information you need to protect your health — and your lungs. Learn about the benefits of a low-dose CT (LDCT) scan to find lung cancer early as well as what your LDCT results mean, so you can take the next step with hope and confidence.
Learn About Lung Screenings
Lung Cancer Risk Factors
Is a Lung Screening for you?
Understand your Results
Miami Cancer Institute and LUNGevity Foundation Named Awardees in the Advancing Health Equity QuickFire Challenge

Miami Cancer Institute and LUNGevity Foundation Named Awardees in the Advancing Health Equity QuickFire Challenge

Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC, in collaboration with the Population Health Research team at Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, named LUNGevity Foundation and Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, as awardees in the Advancing Health Equity QuickFire Challenge. As an awardee, Miami Cancer Institute, in collaboration with LUNGevity Foundation, will receive grant funding to develop and implement a geographically tailored and patient-centric lung cancer screening education program for the Latinx community. For more information on the Advancing Health Equity QuickFire Challenge, visit here.

About the low-dose lung cancer screening

About the low-dose lung cancer screening

This CT scan is a special low radiation X-ray that takes multiple pictures and creates a detailed picture of your lungs with a combination of these images. A study found that early detection of lung cancer through a low-dose CT test can reduce mortality for those who are or have been smokers, are over the age of 50 and meet the high-risk eligibility criteria.

If you smoked, we are providing an eligibility quiz for a low-dose CT that could save your life.

Quality Trusted by Clinicians

Quality Trusted by Clinicians

Baptist Health imaging produces high-quality images your provider can use to screen for lung cancer. We are accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR), so our medical imaging staff have the needed experience and qualifications. We’re also in the ACR’s Lung Cancer Screening Registry.

Schedule your lung screening today.

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