The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved the use of a leading imaging equipment provider’ CT scanners for lung cancer screening using standard low-dose lung protocols.

The FDA approval for the use of Computed Tomography (CT) as a screening tool is a milestone for CT as a modality, making it available for the first time as a screening tool for a subset of high-risk asymptomatic patients, and could save the lives of patients by enabling earlier diagnosis of lung cancer.

Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany) now offers a comprehensive approach to low-dose lung cancer screening using its new and current installed base of CT scanners, with standard low-dose lung protocols. The FDA indication for low-dose lung cancer screening applies to the SOMATOM Force, SOMATOM Definition Flash, SOMATOM Definition Edge, SOMATOM Definition AS/AS+, SOMATOM Perspective, SOMATOM Scope, and the SOMATOM Emotion 16 CT systems.

Siemens CT systems feature Fully Assisting Scanner Technologies (FAST) planning to reduce user variability, optimize workflow and reproducibility, and set optimum range for scan settings avoiding cut-offs, or excessive radiation. The Combined Applications to Reduce Exposure (CARE) feature optimizes radiation dose in scan parameters making the clinical workflow more efficient. Other features help radiologist report dose and sharing findings in an interdisciplinary lung cancer team.

Siemens has also launched a mobile imaging solution for lung cancer screening, the Mobile SOMATOM Scope CT system. The scanner is a self-powered mobile CT system using a diesel generator, and can begin scanning within minutes. The Mobile SOMATOM Scope CT also features a high-speed wireless connection.

David Pacitti, president, Siemens Healthcare North America, said, “Lung cancer screening represents one of the most significant opportunities to improve population health through earlier detection and improved follow-up opportunities for high-risk patients. That’s why Siemens pursued the most expansive indication for lung cancer screening, bringing this valuable tool to all varieties of our current SOMATOM CT scanners.”

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