Low-Dose CT

Low dose CT scans use lower amounts of radiation than standard chest CT imaging and creates detailed images of your chest and lungs to help detect cancer.

Low-dose CT screening is an effective way to detect lung cancer early. Of the 584 patients that Covenant Health screened for lung cancer in 2016, we detected 13 early cancers that would not have been found without this type of screening.

We offer low dose CT scans for lung cancer at the following hospitals:

• Cumberland Medical Center
• Fort Loudoun Medical Center
• Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center
• LeConte Medical Center
• Methodist Medical Center
• Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System
• Roane Medical Center

Lung Cancer Screening Criteria 

Low dose CT scans are recommended for individuals who: 

• Are between the ages of 55-75 and have smoked one pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years;
• Have past cancers of emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, or a family history of lung cancer; and,
• Have been exposed to substances such as asbestos, beryllium, chromium, diesel fumes,  nickel, silica, and arsenic.
• Your physician must write an order for you to be screened.

What to Expect 

• The screening is painless and takes about ten seconds.
• This procedure is non-invasive and requires no medication.
• You will lie still on a table as it passes through the center of the CT Scanner.
• You may be asked to hold your breath one or more times during the scan.
• You can eat and drink as normal before and after the exam. 

Lung Cancer Risk Factors 

Some of the risk factors for lung cancer include smoking tobacco, breathing in secondhand smoke, and exposure to radon, asbestos, or other harsh chemicals. People who have a family history of lung cancer may also be at risk for developing the disease. To find out if you are at risk, take our lung cancer risk assessment. 

Contact Us

For more information about low dose CT screening for lung cancer, please call 865-541-4500.