Low-dose CT scan can identify cancer in early stages
CARIBOU, Maine — Cary Medical Center is now offering Lung Cancer Screening through the use of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) or CT scan. Cary is the only hospital north of Bangor to be providing the screening and is one of only three hospitals in Maine participating in the National Radiology Data Registry.
Through the registry, data from the screening is captured not only from Cary Medical Center but from hospitals providing the exam across the country. The registry allows doctors at Cary to compare practice performance to regional and national benchmarks, which is an important tool for improving the quality of patient care. The information is used to refine protocols and ensure consistent standards of care to create the optimal screening scenario and followup.
Through the lung cancer screening program, individuals who have a high risk for developing lung cancer but no signs or symptoms of the disease undergo the low-dose scanning. Radiologists use advanced computers to produce multiple cross-sections of the inside of the lungs. The technology allows for the detection of many lung diseases and abnormalities using up to 90 percent less radiation than a conventional chest CT scan.
Dr. Shawn Laferriere, chief of radiology at Cary and the director of the screening program, said the screening can be a lifesaver.
“The implementation of this procedure has had a dramatic impact on the diagnosis of Lung Cancers in their earliest stages,” said Laferriere. “The guidelines for the screening have been developed over a number of years providing a consistent and evidence based approach. These advances in technology can now identify small, suspicious nodules that can be closely followed or biopsied. If we find a cancer in this early stage it can be surgically removed before it becomes a greater threat to the patient.”
If a finding is made through the low-dose screening program, patients are followed and will be screened on an annual basis. According to Laferriere, the low-dose aspect of the screening in many patients imparts a similar radiation dose similar to that of a mammogram.
“The low-dose nature of the procedure makes it possible for us to follow the patient on an annual basis to compare the original or baseline screening to subsequent studies, as we do with patients having annual mammograms,” he said. “We can observe any changes and determine our treatment options based on these findings. This is really a significant milestone in the diagnosis, management and treatment of lung cancer.”
When lung cancer is diagnosed the disease may already have spread outside the lung in 15-30 percent of cases. Lung cancer is cited as the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and worldwide. Approximately 85 percent of lung cancer occurs in current or former smokers.
The lung cancer screening recommendations that propelled the program forward came about after the publication of a large, randomized clinical trial sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. The trial was used to find out if the screening could reduce death rates from lung cancer for individuals at high risk for the disease. More than 53,000 men and women aged 55-74, current and former smokers, were studied. The trial showed a 20 percent reduction in lung cancer deaths among the participants who received the low-dose CT scan.
“A 20 percent reduction could mean thousands of lives saved,” said Laferriere. “We now want to educate healthcare professionals here in the County as to the benefits of this program and to encourage individuals who are current smokers or were heavy smokers in the past to ask their doctors about the screening program.”
