CT Screening Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring Low Dose Lung Cancer Screening 3D-QCT, Bone Density Virtual Colonoscopy What is our Screening Referral Policy? Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring identifies calcified plaque in the four main coronary arteries. Identifying plaque prior to symptoms provides an opportunity to slow, halt or reverse, the progression of Coronary Artery Disease before a patient suffers a heart attack. Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring exam is intended to be a non-invasive predictor of risk in symptom-free patients and a marker for the presence of Coronary Artery Disease. Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring is quick and easy. There is no fasting or preparation required and the test takes only a few minutes to complete. A calcified plaque is measured which then places the individual into a risk category. The lower the score the lower the risk for a significant coronary event. Open Air MRI Centers uses state-of-the-art CT technology. These scanners have the speed and power which, combined with FDA-approved computer software, produce the required high quality images. Fast Facts: 1.5 Million Heart Attacks occur every year; 33% are fatal. 30% of Americans who die of a heart attack have NO apparent risk factors. One life is lost to heart disease every 33 seconds. Men initially have a greater risk of coronary artery disease than women; however, a women's risk eventually equals or exceeds that of a man once she begins menopause. One in 5 women have heart disease. An estimated 12 million Americans suffer from Coronary Heart Disease. Heart imaging tests showed early signs of artery disease in 50% of people who had a parent or sibling with heart disease. Heart imaging can detect the presence of coronary plaque even in people who are healthy. top Low Dose Lung Cancer Screening Screening is the use of tests or examinations to detect a disease in people without symptoms of that disease. Because lung cancer usually spreads beyond the lungs before causing any symptoms, an effective screening program for early detection of lung cancer could save many lives. Low Dose Spiral Helical CT scanning has been successful in detecting early lung cancers in smokers and former smokers. Using Low Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening, small nodules can be found when asymtomatic and not yet detectable on a routine chest X-ray. These nodules can be as small as a few millimeters. Fast Facts: During the year 2003, there will be at least 169,500 new cases of lung cancer in the United States. Lung cancer claims 160,000 lives in the U.S. every year. More people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostrate cancers combined. Lung cancer is now the most common cause of cancer mortality among both men and women. More than 8 out of 10 lung cancers are thought to result from smoking. Non-smoking spouses of smokers have a 30% greater risk of developing lung cancer than do spouses of non-smokers. If a person quits smoking before a cancer develops, the damaged lung tissue starts to gradually return to normal. top 3D-QCT, Bone Density 3D-QCT bone densitometry is the most accurate means of assessing bone density. Measurements will be taken on the spine and hip. Other ways to measure include the well know DXA, but the new “gold standard” is QCT because of the accuracy of the measurements. Its software program calculates the density of trabecular bone in the lumbar vertebral bodies. It then compares the results with a known standard to predict the status of the patient’s bone density and risk for fracture. Your bone density is compared to two standards or norms known as the “age matched” and “young normal”. The age-matched reading compares your bone density to what is expected in someone of your age, gender and size. The young normal reading compares your bone density to the optimal peak bone density of a healthy young adult of the same sex. The information from a bone density test enables your doctor to determine whether you are at risk for fracture. In general, the lower your bone density, the higher your risk for fractures. Test results will help you and your doctor decide the best course of action for your bone health. Fast Facts: Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually. One in two women and one in eight men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis related fracture in their lifetime. The rate of hip fractures is two to three times higher in women than in men; however the one year mortality following a hip fracture is nearly twice as high for men as is for women. An average of 24% of hip fracture patients age 50 and over die in the year following their fracture. By the age of about 20, the average woman has acquired 98% of her skeletal mass. There is no cure for osteoporosis, but there are FDA approved medications for postmenopausal women to either prevent and/or prevent osteoporosis. There are four steps to prevent osteoporosis. A balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D Weight-bearing exercise A healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake Bone density testing and medication as determined by your physician top Virtual Colonoscopy Virtual Colonoscopy is a new method that allows doctors to look at the large bowel (colon) to detect polyps and cancers. Polyps are small growths in the colon that may become cancerous if they are not removed. Virtual Colonoscopy is a recently developed technique that uses a CT scanner and Virtual Reality software to look inside the body without having to insert a long tube (Conventional Colonoscopy) into the colon and without the need for sedation (an intravenous injection requiring 6-8 hours of restricted activity following the procedure) or without having to fill the colon with liquid barium/air (Double Contrast Barium Enema). Research performed at Boston University and elsewhere has shown that Virtual Colonoscopy is better able to see polyps than a Double Contrast Barium Enema and is nearly as accurate as Conventional Colonoscopy for polyps most likely capable of becoming cancerous. In addition, most patients report that the Virtual Colonoscopy technique is more comfortable than either Double Contrast Barium Enema or Conventional Colonoscopy. Why is it important? Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, second only to lung cancer. Approximately 140,000 cases of colon cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and 60,000 patients will die of the disease. Colon cancer can be prevented if polyps are discovered and removed early. Tumors (masses of abnormal cells) take years to develop. Initially, a cell from the colon starts to multiply abnormally and forms a benign (non-cancerous) polyp that can remain harmless for a long time before becoming an aggressive cancer. Polyps, when detected, can be removed preventively. Nevertheless, individuals at greatest risk of developing colorectal cancer remain largely under screened. This is due, in part, to poor public awareness and acceptance of current screening techniques. In fact, 7 OUT OF 10 INDIVIDUALS FOR WHOM SCREENING IS INDICATED, REFUSE TO UNDERGO COLON SCREENING for a multitude of reasons. What are the current methods used to detect polyps? There are several tests that are used to try and detect polyps. Several government agencies as well as the American Cancer Society recommend that patients undergo a test that allows the doctor to see the entire colon at age 50 and then every three to five years. Currently there are two accepted methods for seeing the entire colon: the Conventional Colonoscopy and the Double Contrast Barium Enema. Other tests like the Flexible Sigmoidoscope or Rigid Sigmoidoscope, which can only see a small portion of the large bowel (colon), are considered inferior tests. Although the Double Contrast Barium Enema and Conventional Colonoscopy permit visualization of the entire colon, the sensitivity of Double Contrast Barium Enema is far from optimal and is uncomfortable both for patient and examiner. Conventional Colonoscopy is associated with increased risk and is costly. Conventional Colonoscopy is unable to see the entire colon in one out of ten people. In addition, Conventional Colonoscopy may cause an injury of the colon (tear or perforation) in one of 1500 patients. Medication given into to the vein (intravenous sedation) is usually required to make the exam bearable and therefore patients cannot resume normal activities immediately after the test. The introduction of a safe, noninvasive, and effective method of detecting colorectal polyps and cancers has obvious appeal and has been the reason the physicians at our Centers are pursuing Virtual Colonoscopy. How is it done? Virtual Colonoscopy uses a standard Computed Tomography (CT or CAT scan) of the abdomen and pelvis. This allows radiologists (special physicians with advanced training in x-ray imaging) to create pictures on the computer that look similar to those seen by Conventional Colonoscopy. Patients need a cleansing preparation of their bowel prior to the test. The day of the test they come to our Open Air MRI & CT Center for their CT scan. The actual Virtual Colonoscopy procedure will begin by inserting a small flexible tube into the rectum, so that air can be introduced. A CT scan is then performed while patients lie comfortably on their back and then on their stomach. The total time required for the study is approximately 10-20 minutes. Because sedation is not required, patients are free to leave our CT center immediately without the need for observation or recovery. Patients can resume normal activities immediately after the procedure and can eat, work or drive without a delay. The Radiologist will analyze the CT data to detect colon polyps or cancers. Your physicians will receive a copy of your report within 48 hours. Is it painful? When air is introduced in the colon some patients experience minimal temporary abdominal cramping or “gas pains”. A widely used intravenous injection to relax the bowel can also be given to help reduce the gas pains, but this is usually not necessary. Relaxing, by taking in slow deep breaths, will help to alleviate any discomfort. When and how often do I need to have a test to screen for polyps? Patients over 50 years old should be tested every 3-5 years with a Barium Enema, Conventional Colonoscopy, or Virtual Colonoscopy. top What is our Screening Referral Policy? Open Air MRI recognizes the popularity that screening has achieved in the community and its availability on a self-referral basis. However, as ethical physicians we are obliged to offer services for which there is scientific basis and to refrain from advertising that plays upon the populations fears or is misleading. For that reason, Open Air MRI offers our screening services to our patients with a referral request from their physician. We believe this best allows for an intelligent decision as to the value of any medical procedure selected. top
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