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What is screening?Screening is looking for disease before a person has any symptoms. This can help find disease at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, disease may have begun to spread. It is important to remember that your doctor does not necessarily think you have cancer if he or she suggests a screening test. Screening tests are given when you have no cancer symptoms. If a screening test result is abnormal, you may need to have more tests done to find out if you have cancer. These are called diagnostic tests.
Whole Body Scan
What happens after I am scanned? Your results will be mailed to you within a few days after your exam. Please be patient as there are many images to review. It is impossible for you to walk out of the exam, with a full diagnostic report. We recommend that you share this report with a board certified physician (Family, Primary or Other Specialty) as the terminology and interpretation can only be best explained by a qualified medical professional. Please note that our radiologists are only responsible for interpreting and dictating a report on the findings of your scan. They cannot make recommendations in terms of treatment or course of action, as this can only be done by a specialist. Do I need a doctor’s written order for this scan? No. Since this is considered a “self referral”, a doctor’s written order Is not necessary. Will my insurance company cover this scan? No. If you choose to attempt to have your insurance cover part of this exam, it is your responsibility to bill your insurance. We will not be responsible for this portion. How often should someone be scanned? Unknown. Cancer screening cannot detect what is not seen on the images. There is always a possibility that cancer may develop after your examination that was originally not detected on the initial exam. Why don’t you scan arms and legs? It is highly unlikely for a person to develop cancer in the limbs (arms, legs, feet and hands). Therefore we do not scan your extremities. There is not valid reason to do so. The most significant areas to screen are your head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Whole Body ScansRecent advances in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) have allowed for fast, reliable and safe disease screening for detecting diseases throughout the body. MRI is far safer than Computed Tomography (CT) scanning. The magnetic field and radiofrequency energy of MRI is safe. In recent years, disease screening using CT technology has been prevalent, but there are many negative considerations when using CT to scan the entire body. One of the most important reasons is due to the amount of radiation exposure. With your safety in mind, we have created a disease screening method using a combination of MRI and CT, in order to limit radiation exposure as much as possible. Most other centers advertise body scans using only CT technology because it is much faster but the amount of radiation exposure from scanning an entire body may be harmful. People with a family history of cancers such as lung, lymph, stomach, kidney, ovarian and liver cancer or who have had exposure to environmental toxins may be good candidates for this type of screening exam. We offer the following Screening Packages:
Virtual Colonography Screening
If you are one of those that avoid this important screening because you are embarrassed or afraid, Virtual Colonography (VC) may be just for you. VC is also useful when conventional colonoscopies cannot be completed due to strictures or other forms of pathology. Virtual Colonoscopy allows patients a less-invasive and far more comfortable exam without the need for sedation and a minimal interruption to the day. It is also safer than traditional methods because it is less likely to cause any perforations or damage to the colon because it does not require the use of a colonoscope. No recovery period is required since sedation is not used during this exam and patients are able to return to normal activities immediately afterwards. Actual scan time is about 10 minutes. After the scan, 3D images will be created in which our Radiologists will review for abnormalities. The American Cancer Society recommends that screening for colorectal cancer begin at age 40 or older. People should begin colorectal cancer screening earlier and/or undergo screening more often if they have a personal history of colorectal cancer, adenomatous polyps or chronic inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, those with a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps and with hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes should be screened.
Carotid Screening
Carotid Screening is a good risk assessment for the detection of heart disease. This painless test uses ultrasound to detect fatty plaque buildup in the carotid arteries on each side of the neck. Buildup of plaque in these arteries is a good indicator of arterial health throughout the body and an even more direct.
CT Lung Cancer Screening
Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in American men and women, killing approximately 160,000 each year. If the diagnosis is made early (stage I disease), the percentage of those alive five years after diagnosis is 60-80%. Unfortunately, lung cancers are often not detected until after symptoms appear, when the lung cancer is already at later stages and the cure rates are significantly lower. The percentage alive in five years after a diagnosis of advanced disease is only 1-13%. Without lung cancer screening, the percentage of lung cancers diagnosed with stage I disease is only 15%. In a population of people screened yearly for lung cancer with CT, the percentage of cancers diagnosed with stage I disease rises to 75%. Five-year survival rates are clearly different for diagnoses made at different stages. However, there is some ongoing debate in the medical community and ongoing research as to whether screening for lung cancer is cost effective and whether detecting lung cancer at an earlier stage really makes a difference in overall survival. It is possible that people diagnosed with lung cancer at an early stage using CT screening will still die at the same time they otherwise would have, except with a longer lead time between when they know of their disease and when they die. Some argue that survival rate at five years after diagnosis is higher because of "lead time bias." This argument is that the numbers only seem better because we start counting the five years at an earlier time, and not because earlier diagnosis lead to more effective intervention. The fact that the number of lung cancers diagnosed each year is almost identical to the number of deaths from lung cancer each year (within 10%), suggests that almost everyone who gets lung cancer, even those diagnosed with early stage disease, dies of it. While it seems intuitively obvious that earlier diagnosis should allow higher cure rates, the debate will continue for some time, until more definite long-term follow up research data is available. Survival of Patients with Stage I Lung Cancer Detected on CT ScreeningCT Lung Screening Risk - A 50-year-old female smoker who undergoes annual CT lung screening until age 75 would incur an estimated radiation-related lung cancer risk of 0.85%, in addition to her otherwise expected lung cancer risk of approximately 17%. The radiation-associated cancer risk to other organs would be far lower. (Radiology 2004; 231:440-445.) Smoking Cessation Resources:
Osteoporosis Screening with Bone Densitometry / DEXA Scan
Now that effective medical therapy is available, diagnosing osteoporosis has become the important first step to controlling or reversing the condition before the patient suffers from a fracture. Bone Densitometry or DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) is the best way to diagnose and evaluate the degree of osteoporosis. Scanning is performed of the lumbar spine and the hip. The bone densities are calculated and graphed relative to normal control data. Those with bone densities significantly lower (more than 2.5 SD) than the average bone density of a young adult are diagnosed with osteoporosis. A more moderate degree of osteoporosis is called osteopenia. This non-invasive screening is quick, safe and painless. Medicare and most insurance plans cover this exam for women over 65. Women may be tested much sooner than that if they believe there may be additional risk factors.
Total Body Composition Testing
The accurate measurement of total as well as regional bone and tissue composition has relevance in a number of clinical conditions. Applications for Total Body BMD and Body Composition
Total Body BMD and body composition are valuable tools in the management of clinical disorders. In addition, regional fat distribution is clinically useful in relation to cardiovascular disease risk, glucose metabolism, and insulin resistance.
AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm)
Coverage CriteriaThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released final details of SAAAVE in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule in late 2006. The screening AAA ultrasound is only covered by Medicare once and the beneficiary must be referred by a physician or qualified non-physician provider (i.e. clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, medical assistant) during an Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE). An IPPE is a one-time exam available for new Part B beneficiaries that must be completed within the first six months of coverage. During the exam, the practitioner is required to provide education and counseling for covered preventive services which includes the AAA screening ultrasound. The eligible beneficiary does not need to show signs or symptoms of disease but must fall under at least one of the following risk:
Private PayersMany health insurance plans also provide coverage for a screening AAA ultrasound as part of a preventive health guideline or benefit. The qualifying criteria are often the same as Medicare. Check individual plans regarding coverage, codes and payment.
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