Early Detection is Key
Health outcomes, benefits and risks are important for your physician to consider when recommending an LDCT lung screening. Not all people who smoke may fit the criteria necessary for screening and/or reimbursement related to the LDCT scan. Your health care provider can help you determine whether you fit the criteria appropriate for receiving an LDCT lung screening.
Are You a Candidate for Screening?
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an LDCT lung screening is recommended for people who are at high risk of lung cancer.
- Are you between the ages of 50-80?
- Have you currently, or in the past, had a 20 pack-year smoking history, for 15 years?
- Are you a current smoker or one who has quit within the last 15 years?
- Do you have no signs or symptoms of lung cancer?
If you answered "yes" to all of the questions above, you might be at high risk for lung cancer and meet the guidelines for LDCT screening.
You will need an order for the lung screening from your health care provider before your exam.
To get started, please click the link below to get in touch with a Lung Nurse Navigator, who can help you obtain the order, get scheduled for your test, or answer any questions about lung cancer screening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Certain symptoms can be a sign that you have a condition in your lungs that should be evaluated and treated, if necessary, by your health care provider. These symptoms include fever, chest pain, a new or changing cough, shortness of breath that you have never felt before, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss.
Your provider will discuss how frequently you need screening based on your individual risk.
Studies have shown that LDCT lung screening may lower the risk of death from lung cancer by 20% in people at high risk.
It takes less than 10 minutes, no medications are given, and no needles are used. You can eat before and after the exam. You will not need to change clothes as long as the clothing on your chest does not contain metal. You must, however, be able to hold your breath for at least six seconds while the chest scan is being taken.
We want to make sure you understand the risks and benefits of LDCT lung screening, which is why a decision-sharing visit with your physician is necessary before your screening takes place. During this meeting, your physician will discuss all of this with you.
You will need an order for the lung screening from your health care provider before your exam. Once you have an order, call one of the locations below or click here to schedule an appointment online.
- Greater Heights: (713) 867-3336
- Southeast: (281) 929-6485
- All Other Locations: (877) 704-8700
You will receive the results of your exam within two weeks. If you do not, please follow up with your referring physician. The health care provider who ordered your exam will receive a copy of your results.
We encourage you to check with your insurance provider for coverage options. The screening may be covered in some capacity if you fit one of the high-risk categories.
If your insurance does not offer any coverage options for an LDCT screening, you may be offered a payment plan or billing alternative. Any additional testing you may need, based on the results from the screening, may be billed to your insurance.
The best way to prevent lung cancer is to stop smoking. For help on quitting smoking, please call the American Cancer Society at (800) 227-2345 or fill out the form below to enroll in the next Memorial Hermann-sponsored tobacco cessation program. More information on our Tobacco Cessation Counseling program can be found by clicking here.
About Our Lung Nodule Program
Lung screening is part of the Lung Nodule Program at Memorial Hermann. The program’s multidisciplinary approach is used to expedite the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of lung nodules and lesions. The affiliated team collaboratively reviews each case and recommends the best treatment option for each patient. The team is made up of affiliated:
- Diagnostic, vascular and interventional radiologists
- Medical oncologists
- Pathologists
- Pulmonologists
- Radiation oncologists
- Thoracic surgeons
Schedule Your Lung Cancer Screening
Your health care provider or a Lung Nurse Navigator can help you determine if you fit the criteria appropriate for receiving an LDCT lung screening.
Please note: You will need an order for the lung screening from your health care provider before your exam.
If you do not have a physician's order, call (833) 770-7771 or fill out the Contact Us form on this page to be connected to a Lung Nurse Navigator, who can help you obtain the order, get scheduled for your test, or answer any questions.