CT scan for lung cancer

I am a 57-year-old male who smokes. My doctor says I need to undergo a CT scan every 2-3 years to screen for lung cancer. Is this worth it?

Tell your doctor to Piss off. First, the regular chest x-ray is very insensitive and cannot detect small lung cancers. Ct scan is very sensitive but the majority of lesions identified turn out to be non cancerous. The only sure way to tell if a mass on a CT scan is a cancer is to biopsy. Therefore, if a lesion is seen on CT scan, you will be sent for a biopsy. CT scan screening for lung cancer is just another bogus way how doctors rip off patients. The actual CT scan will cost about $600-$1,000. If you need to undergo a biopsy, it will be a couple of thousand dollars. Moreover, the majority of time, the lesions are non cancerous.

My best advice to you is stop smoking and change your doctor-this doctor sounds like a fraud for recommending a BS test. In America and elsewhere, having health insurance can be a hazard to your health sometimes-because you are sent for more tests and more surgeries-the majority, which are unnecessary.