Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening (LDCT)

Low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening at Multiscan Pardubice uses the Siemens Somatom X.cite CT scanner to detect early-stage lung cancer in high-risk individuals before symptoms appear. The programme targets current and former heavy smokers aged 55–74 and is registered with the national prevenceproplice.cz screening initiative. LDCT uses a fraction of the radiation dose of a standard diagnostic CT while retaining sufficient resolution to identify suspicious pulmonary nodules as small as a few millimetres — the stage at which lung cancer is most treatable. Eligible patients enrolled with contracted Czech insurers receive the scan at no cost.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death globally, largely because most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages when symptoms first appear. Clinical trials — most prominently the NLST (National Lung Screening Trial) in the US and the NELSON trial in Europe — have demonstrated that annual low-dose CT screening of high-risk individuals reduces lung cancer mortality by 20–25% by enabling detection of early-stage disease, when surgical resection offers a realistic chance of cure. Low-dose CT differs from standard diagnostic CT in its acquisition parameters: tube current and voltage are substantially reduced, delivering an effective dose of approximately 1–2 mSv compared with 5–10 mSv for a standard chest CT. This remains well above the noise floor needed to visualise the lungs, which are naturally high-contrast air-filled structures — making them well suited to low-dose technique. The Siemens Somatom X.cite used at Multiscan Pardubice performs LDCT acquisitions with iterative reconstruction algorithms that further reduce image noise at low dose, maintaining the diagnostic confidence needed to characterise pulmonary nodules. The Czech national lung screening programme covers individuals aged 55–74 who are either current smokers with a history of at least 20 cigarettes per day for 20 or more years, or former smokers who meet an equivalent cumulative exposure threshold. Participants are enrolled in the prevenceproplice.cz registry, which tracks screening rounds and nodule follow-up. Multiscan is a designated screening centre for the Pardubice Region and all seven contracted Czech public health insurers fund the scan at no cost for eligible patients. Self-pay patients and international visitors can access the same protocol for a market rate of approximately 2,500 Kč, coordinated through Altoa Medical Tourism. Screening appointments are held on Tuesdays and Fridays 07:30–07:50; patients should arrive at the Na Spravedlnosti CT facility for registration. A physician referral specifying the low-dose lung screening indication is required. The only preparation is fasting — only still water is permitted before the scan. Smoking cessation support is strongly recommended alongside screening; MUDr. Jiříčková and the oncology team can provide referrals to cessation programmes. Results are reviewed by a specialist radiologist, and any identified nodule is classified and followed according to the Lung-RADS or Fleischner Society guidelines with an onward referral pathway through Multiscan's integrated oncology centre if needed.