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Atlantic Medical Imaging Introduces Powerful New Weapon in Battle against Lung Cancer.
Atlantic Medical Imaging Introduces Powerful New Weapon in Battle against Lung Cancer.
A recent study by the National Cancer Institute reveals encouraging news about the use of low dose CT lung screenings in early stage diagnosis of lung cancer.
Atlantic Medical Imaging (AMI) is now offering low dose CT lung screenings, a breakthrough new tool in the fight against lung cancer. Today, 85% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States will die from it within five years. With over 160,000 deaths per year, lung cancer has become the number one cancer killer in America, claiming more lives than breast, colon, and prostate cancer combined.
AMI is hoping to alter those statistics with early detection. Low dose CT lung screenings of high-risk patients can detect lung cancers in their earliest stage, when up to 92% can be cured.
“Early detection improves patient outcomes and saves lives,” said Robert M. Glassberg, president and CEO of Atlantic Medical Imaging. “The low dose CT scan has emerged as one of the most promising tools for early detection of lung cancer in high risk individuals. In one of the largest clinical trials ever conducted (the National Lung Screening Trial), the National Cancer Institute recently concluded that annual CT screenings in high risk individuals resulted in a 20 percent reduction in mortality compared with conventional x-ray screening.”
AMI is one of a select few facilities nation-wide to offer this state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging. The vast majority of the others are large university medical centers in major metropolitan cities.
CT lung screening is a noninvasive procedure that uses low-dose x-rays to screen the lungs for cancer in just 10 seconds. The CT scan is a painless procedure in which a special computerized tomography imaging machine rotates rapidly around the body, taking more than 100 pictures in sequence.
“The scan is so sensitive that we can now detect nodules that are too small to be seen on a conventional chest x-ray, which makes it an excellent tool in lung cancer screening,” Dr. Glassberg added. “By detecting malignant tumors in an early stage, intervention can occur at a time when the cancer is localized in the lungs and still curable.”
The low dose CT lung screening is intended for patients age 55-74 who have smoked at least one pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years or more, or at least two packs of cigarettes for 15 years or more. In addition, individuals ages 50-54 who have smoked at least one pack a day for 20 years and with risk factors such as a family history of lung cancer or asbestos exposure. While a CT scan can cost up to $400, for a limited time, AMI is offering the screenings no cost for those at high risk.
The screening is performed by subspecialty-trained chest radiologists, and is available at all AMI office locations in Atlantic, Cape May, Ocean and Monmouth counties. Participants will need to obtain a referral from their healthcare provider. To schedule an appointment, call (609) 677-XRAY (9729). Cape May County residents may call (609) 463-9500, and Ocean and Monmouth County residents may call (732) 223-XRAY (9729).