Lung Cancer Screening

You can eat and drink normally before your test, and you don’t need to do any special preparation.

When you first arrive for your screening, you’ll meet with a nurse practitioner. You’ll answer questions about your family history, health, work and lifestyle habits that can raise your lung cancer risks. We’ll enter this information into evidence-based risk calculators to help determine your risk of developing lung cancer.

The nurse will also listen to your breathing and check your vital signs.

For your scan, you’ll change into a gown and lay down on a table. Then, a low-dose CT scanner will take pictures inside your body from different angles. The entire scan only takes 10 minutes.

One of our expert radiologists will review your scan for early signs of lung cancer. You can expect to receive your results within three to five business days via phone or our patient portal. We’ll also share your results with your primary care provider.

If your scan is normal, we’ll schedule yearly follow-up scans to monitor your lungs.

If your scan is abnormal, we’ll schedule an appointment for you with our lung care experts at MU Health Care. These lung specialists may include pulmonologists, oncologists and thoracic surgeons who are experts in diagnosing and treating lung cancer. We’ll explain the pros and cons of additional testing, so you can decide what’s right for you.

As an academic health system, we offer the most advanced lung cancer tests, including:

• Minimally invasive lung biopsies using advanced techniques like robotic-assisted bronchoscopy or interventional radiology techniques
• Advanced imaging scans, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and combined PET/CT Dotatate scans

If additional testing shows you have lung cancer, we’ll work with you to develop a personalized plan. In recent years, new treatments have improved outcomes for many people with lung cancer. We can help you determine the best path forward based on your goals and preferences.