Moffitt Cancer Center Offering Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening
Moffitt Cancer Center is now offering low-dose CT lung cancer screening. The test is targeting people 55 to 74 who have more than a 30 pack-year history of cigarette smoking (30 pack-year is equivalent to one pack per day for 30 years, two packs per day for 15 years, etc.). For those who don’t meet the criteria, a physician’s order is required. Appointments may be made with a pulmonologist in Moffitt’s lung cancer program to discuss the pros and cons of screening. Click here to read the news article in the St. Petersburg Times.
CT scans of the chest have proved to be safe and effective for screening people at risk, as shown in a groundbreaking study recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Moffitt was one of the 33 study sites in the United States that participated in the National Lung Screening Trial. This study outlines the use of yearly chest CT scans for people at risk of lung cancer, leading to earlier detection of cancer before symptoms appear. The earlier the diagnosis, the better chance of a cure.
Moffitt’s experts will review chest CT scans, and all positive results will be evaluated by its lung cancer tumor board, which includes pulmonologists, surgeons, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists and nurses. Follow-up appointments for those with a positive screening CT will be scheduled to discuss results and create personalized treatment plans. Moffitt will also provide smoking cessation materials.
To schedule a chest CT screening appointment, call the New Patient Appointment Center at (813) 745-3980 or 1-888-860-2778.
For questions, call Cancer Answers at 1-888-MOFFITT. Appointments are available Monday through Saturday at Moffitt. CT lung cancer screenings are currently not covered by insurance. Scans are $350.
