Screening Veterans for Lung Cancer
Biomoda a medical diagnostic company has been approved to screen veterans for lung cancer with virtual CT lung scans. The clinic coupled with the Federal Drug Administration is hoping to impart the idea of early detection and screening regularly for various cancers like lung and colorectal.
MSNBC reported on this new study and funding saying, "Our initial study is directed at military veterans who are at high risk for developing lung cancer. If our screening reveals early-stage cancer in one of our volunteers, that person's chance of being alive five years from now goes from 15 percent to 80 percent, all because of early diagnosis and treatment." It is our intent in this pilot program to identify five to ten such cases and have a dramatic impact on saving lives here in New Mexico now."
In lieu of the recent decision by the Obama Administration and Medicare to ban paying for virtual colonscopies, this new approval may shift the protocol for insurance companies providing payment for prevenative screening.
