CT Lung Screening

Low-dose CT of the chest for early detection of lung nodules in current and former smokers. Scans the entire lung parenchyma in a single breath-hold without contrast, enabling detection of sub-centimetre nodules years before symptoms appear.

Low-dose CT lung screening at Regina Maria Campus Medical Pallady acquires a volumetric image of the entire lung parenchyma — from lung apex to costophrenic angles — in a single breath-hold lasting ten to fifteen seconds. No contrast agent is required, preparation is minimal (avoid eating for two hours beforehand is often sufficient), and the whole appointment including check-in and reporting takes under an hour. The evidence base for low-dose CT lung screening in high-risk individuals is solid. The US National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) demonstrated a 20% reduction in lung cancer mortality in current and former heavy smokers aged 55–74 screened annually with low-dose CT compared with chest X-ray. The NELSON trial in Europe confirmed a 24% mortality reduction in men and 33% in women over ten years of screening. These are among the largest mortality benefits demonstrated by any cancer screening programme. The key is early detection: stage I lung cancer (confined to the lung without lymph node spread) has a five-year survival rate above 70%, compared with below 5% for stage IV disease. The low-dose technique used for screening reduces radiation exposure to a small fraction of a diagnostic CT chest dose — typically around 1–2 mSv, comparable to the natural background radiation accumulated over several months in central Europe. Because the purpose is nodule detection rather than tissue characterisation, there is no need for the higher dose and contrast-enhanced sequences used in staging CT. At the Pallady campus, a specialist radiologist reviews the lung images and reports findings according to a structured classification system such as Lung-RADS, which categorises each nodule by size, morphology, and growth characteristics and assigns a follow-up recommendation — from routine annual screening to short-interval follow-up CT to PET or biopsy for larger or suspicious lesions. Incidental non-pulmonary findings (enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, adrenal findings, coronary calcification) are also noted and flagged for appropriate follow-up. Current Romanian private-market screening programmes offer low-dose CT lung screening at significantly lower prices than equivalent programmes in Western Europe or North America, making Bucharest an accessible destination for individuals seeking preventive screening that is not yet included in state-reimbursed programmes in many countries. The Pallady campus is open Monday to Friday until 20:00 and Saturday until 14:00, allowing same-day screening appointments for travellers with short visits to Bucharest. Bookings are made through the contact centre at 021 9268 or via reginamaria.ro/en.