Check out Gardiner Harris' article in the New York Times: "CT Scans Cut Lung Cancer Deaths, Study Finds." Mr. Harris reports on a recent study that finds annual CT scans for 'heavy' smokers can aid in reducing deaths by lung cancer by 20%!
Unfortunately, Medicare and health insurers do not (currently) cover the cost of CT lung screening. This means the individual will be out-of-pocket approximately $350 to $450 for a scan at an out-patient imaging center versus a scan at an academic medical center or large hospital system where charges, for the same scan-quality-read & equiment, run as high as $1865 for the scan PLUS $395 for the professional read by the radiologist.
To read more from Gardiner Harris and the New York Times go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/health/research/05cancer.html
