The Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance (MITA) is applauding a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine that supports the value of low-dose CT lung imaging for high-risk Medicare-eligible patients.
Researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) analyzed National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) data and determined that the benefits of low-dose CT were more pronounced among current and former heavy smokers ages 65 to 74 than for individuals ages 55 to 64 with similar smoking histories, in spite of slightly higher false-positive results.
Given the findings, MITA is urging the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to approve Medicare payments for CT lung cancer screening.
