Is spiral CT the answer?

DEAR DR. GOTT: My friend told me about a recent news program on television regarding early detection for lung cancer through X-ray. I missed it because I was visiting my father, who is in a nursing home, but I would love to know what this new testing is all about. Can you fill me in on the details?

DEAR READER: I believe the testing you are referring is spiral computed tomography (SCT). These scans are now being performed as a means of early detection for lung cancer in people who smoke or did in the past. Within 12 to 20 seconds, the machine rotates around the patient and creates images that are reconstructed into a three-dimensional model of the lungs.
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