Low Dose CT Scans, How Can They Help People Quit Smoking?

Dr. Henschke explains how low dose CT (computed tomography) scans help women stop smoking.

Dr. Henschke:
That when you do enroll in a CT screening program, if you are currently smoking, that knowing what your lungs look like and, is a very powerful incentive to help you stop smoking. So we have introduced smoking cessation programs in our screening programs, and we think that’s a very important combination because we think it’s important. It makes a big difference to quit smoking, even if you are at age 50 or at age 60.

There is improvement in your cardiovascular health. In other words, your chances of dying of cardiac disease goes down very rapidly. However, your risk of lung cancer remains for a long time. So we think that, particularly if you stop smoking or if you can be encouraged to stop smoking, it’s important to discuss with your physician about screening for lung cancer.

About Dr. Henschke, M.D., Ph.D.:
Dr. Claudia Ingrid Henschke, M.D., Ph.D., M.S., is an Attending Radiologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Professor of Radiology in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical School. She is a clinical expert in percutaneous fine needle lung biopsies and thoracic radiology and board certified in Diagnostic Radiology. Dr. Henschke received her master’s degree from Southern Methodist University, her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia, and medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine.

Visit Dr. Henschke at Weill Cornell Medical College