A CT scan of the chest can help find problems such as infection, lung cancer, blocked blood flow in the lung (pulmonary embolism), and other lung problems. It also can be used to see if cancer has spread into the chest from another area of the body. A low-dose CT scan is a different type of chest CT scan.
Chest CT scans can help you doctor to determine the causes of chest symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and chest pain. Chest CT scans can help diagnose early-stage lung cancer, and other lung diseases.
After analysing the images, the radiologist will write a report and send it to the doctor who referred you for the scan so they can discuss the results with you. This normally takes a few days or weeks.
That's where a CT scan for cancer comes in. At American Health Imaging (AHI), we offer diagnostic CT scans that can easily detect bladder cancer, kidney cancer, ovarian cancer, stomach cancer and even colon cancer.
A CT scan of the chest shows the inner workings of your chest. When focused on the heart, it shows any cardiac problems that are present. It does this by taking cross-sectional images of your heart and the blood vessels that run to and through it. These images can be combined into a three-dimensional image.
A chest CT scan can diagnose any of the following issues: Infection. Heart and lung problems. Blocked arteries.
A CT scan can show whether you have a tumor—and, if you do, where it's located and how big it is. CT scans can also show the blood vessels that are feeding the tumor. Your care team may use these images to see whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body, such as the lungs or liver.
A CT scan may be ordered if your doctor suspects you have a tumor or blood clot. These issues could be a symptom of a very serious problem; therefore the sooner they are discovered the better off the patient will be. These scans may also be used to look for signs of an infection or any excess fluid.
Chronic back pain or an injury to the spine are among the most common reasons to have a CT scan. A doctor may also order a spinal CT scan to: Evaluate spinal fractures. Assess the condition of the spine before and after surgical procedures.
While CT provides much more detail of damage and disease of internal organs, bones and blood vessels than some other imaging technologies, it can't show everything. Some types of cancer, for example, prostate cancer, uterine cancer and some liver cancers, may be harder to image using computed tomography.
Concerns about CT scans include the risks from exposure to ionizing radiation and possible reactions to the intravenous contrast agent, or dye, which may be used to improve visualization. The exposure to ionizing radiation may cause a small increase in a person's lifetime risk of developing cancer.
You should get your results within 1 or 2 weeks. Waiting for results can make you anxious. Ask your doctor or nurse how long it will take to get them. Contact the doctor who arranged the test if you haven't heard anything after a couple of weeks.
When the CT scan is over, you can resume normal activities. If you had intravenous contrast, you should drink at least eight glasses of water throughout the day to help flush the contrast out of your body. Your doctor will receive the results within 48 hours.
How long does the test take? The test will take about 30 to 60 minutes. Most of this time is spent getting ready for the scan.
CT scans detect and diagnose blood clots by providing detailed, accurate imagery of the body's blood vessels and their obstructions. Doctors generally use two CT scan techniques for blood clot detection and diagnosis — CT venography and CT pulmonary angiography.
In addition to its use in cancer, CT is widely used to help diagnose circulatory (blood) system diseases and conditions, such as coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis), blood vessel aneurysms, and blood clots; spinal conditions; kidney and bladder stones; abscesses; inflammatory diseases, such as ulcerative colitis ...
“Your test needs to be read by a diagnostic radiologist, and the results go back to your physician. Your physician reads the report and then discusses it with you,” Edwards said. The biggest reason for that policy is that only a medical doctor has the training and experience to make a diagnosis.
Do not eat for 2.5 hours prior to the examination. You may have clear liquids up to two hours before the examination. Clear liquids include water, black coffee or tea, apple juice, clear soda, or clear broth. You may take your medication at your normal time with water.
CT technology is used to detect pulmonary nodules, collections of abnormal tissue in the lungs that may be early manifestations of lung cancer. These nodules are often detectable by CT before physical symptoms of lung cancer develop.
Since the test uses quite strong radiations, people often worry about the risk of developing cancer from it. While there are things to be aware of, the risk of radiation exposure related cancer is quite low. CT scans are generally worth the risks associated with radiation exposure due to its multiple benefits.
Types of Cancer a CT Scan May Detect
Compared to an X-ray, a CT scan does a better job of showing whether something that looks like cancer in your lungs is actually a tumor and not something else, like an abscess. Additionally, CT scans are frequently used to detect many abdominal cancers, such as: Bladder cancer.
Can a CT scan tell if a lung nodule is cancerous? The short answer is no. A CT scan usually isn't enough to tell whether a lung lesion is a benign tumor or a cancerous lump. A biopsy is the only way to confirm a lung cancer diagnosis.
Some cancers, such as prostate cancer, uterine cancer, and certain liver cancers, are pretty much invisible or very hard to detect on a CT scan. Metastases to the bone and brain also show up better on an MRI.