Debate emerges regarding benefit of CT scans for lung cancer

Aug 17 2011

Some hospitals are offering discounted CT scans to worried smokers, leading experts to question whether it's a marketing strategy or offers some health benefit.

The Washington Post: CT Scans For Lung Cancer Trigger Debate
Hospitals and radiology practices around the United States have increasingly begun using high-tech CT scans to screen people for lung cancer despite intense disagreement about whether the testing should be done widely and, if so, who should undergo the exams. The trend was triggered by a recent federal study, which found that screening certain heavy smokers and ex-smokers could slash their chances of dying from lung cancer. The finding was hailed as one of the most important advances in decades toward reducing the toll from the nation's leading cancer killer (Stein, 8/15).

Kaiser Health News: Hospitals Promoting Bargain CT Scans For Smokers
Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz reports: "Trumpeting a landmark study released recently, hospitals around the country have started offering deeply discounted CT scans for smokers worried about lung cancer. But some experts question whether the strategy is a marketing ploy that could bring more harm than good" (Galewitz, 8/16).