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Coronary Artery Scan:

Purpose: To detect and measure coronary calcium, the marker for atherosclerosis (the accumulation of plaque in the blood vessels that bring blood and oxygen to the heart muscle).

For whom appropriate: Men 35 or older and women 40 or older. Younger individuals with any of the following risk factors should also be considered:

High Blood Pressure

High cholesterol

Diabetes

History of tobacco use

Sedentary lifestyle

Overweight or obese

Family History of heart disease

Significant emotional or job-related stress

Other vascular disease

Significance:

Heart disease kills more American men and women than any other disease.

For 150,000 Americans each year, the first and only sign of coronary disease is a fatal heart attack. This means they had no symptoms, their cholesterol levels were normal, they weren't smokers, nothing abnormal had ever been uncovered in their periodic physical exams and stress tests, etc. Then one day, they succumbed unexpectedly to a fatal heart attack, much to the despair of their families and loved ones.

Heart Disease is a very treatable condition, provided the condition of the coronary arteries is known. Frequently the treatment consists of nothing more than modifications in diet and exercise habits. Sometimes, medication is necessary. Only in extreme situations is surgical intervention indicated.

Lung Scan:

Purpose: To detect lung cancer and other abnormalities in the lungs

For Whom Appropriate:

Smokers (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, marijuana)

Non-smokers with any of the following risk factors:

Exposure to secondhand smoke

Exposure to cancer-causing agents such as asbestos, radon and Agent Orange

History of tuberculosis or pneumonia

Significance:

Lung cancer kills more American men and women than any other type of cancer.

Lung cancer tumors are typically the size of an orange by the time they're discovered in a chest x-ray. CT scans can detect tumors as small as a grain of rice.

The five-year survival rate for lung cancer is only 14%. However, it's estimated this could be increased to 80% through early detection and treatment.

Body Scan:

Purpose: To detect and measure coronary calcium (see coronary artery scan), to detect lung cancer and other abnormalities in the lungs (see lung scan), and to detect cancer and other abnormalities in the abdomen (kidneys, liver, pancreas, gall bladder, abdominal aorta, adrenal glands, lymph nodes, spleen), and pelvis (bladder, prostate, ovaries, and uterus).

For whom appropriate: The same individuals for whom coronary artery scans and lung scans are appropriate

Significance:

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are by far the two largest causes of death in the United States, accounting for almost 3 out of every 4 deaths. The body scan, performed in just a matter of minutes, screens for the presence of both heart disease and many types of cancer, as well as abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The earlier heart disease is detected, the greater the likelihood it can be slowed, stopped or even reversed. The earlier a cancer is detected, the greater the likelihood it can be successfully treated (radiation, chemotherapy, surgery) before it has spread to other organs.

Five percent of men over the age of 60 develop abdominal aortic aneurysms, most of which do not result in symptoms. Rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is a catastrophe, a highly lethal event typically resulting in immediate death.

Caution:

The Body Scan is performed for screening purposes. It is intended to supplement, and not replace

other screening and diagnostic procedures recommended by a patient's physician or

other screening procedures generally considered age and gender appropriate.

EB Angiography:

Purpose: To evaluate high-grade stenoses (narrowings) in the native coronary vessels or in bypass grafts.

For whom appropriate:

Individuals who previously have had bypass surgery, angioplasty or atherectomy, and for whom it is deemed advisable to monitor the condition of the revascularization(s).

Individuals who previously have had bypass surgery, angioplasty or atherectomy, and have recently begun to experience cardiac symptoms (chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, etc.).

Individuals for whom conventional angiography is being considered as a result of either symptoms or positive or inconclusive exercise (treadmill) testing.

Significance: In excess of one million coronary angiograms are performed in the United States each year. Approximately 30 percent of these procedures reveal either no abnormality or an abnormality that does not require surgical intervention. This means that hundreds of thousands of Americans each year are unnecessarily put to the expense, discomfort and risk of conventional angiography. EB Angiopraphy provides the opportunity to rule out the need for conventional angiography in many patients.

QCT Bone Density:

Purpose: To detect osteoporosis (a silent disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue) before a fracture occurs, and to monitor changes in bone density in response to treatment

For whom appropriate:

Postmenopausal women

Premenopausal women, perimenopausal women, and men with any of the following risk factors:

Thin or small frame

Family history of osteoporosis

Diet low in calcium

Cigarette smoking

Excessive use of alcohol

Inactive lifestyle

Use of corticosteroids or thyroid medication

Low testosterone levels in men

QCT isolates metabolically active trabecular bone for greater anatomic accuracy than other methods.

A series of axial scans are taken with the patient lying on a calibration phantom.

Significance:

Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures in the United States. The majority of such fractures are of the hip, spine and wrist.

One in two women and one in eight men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.

Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse.

In the U.S. today, 18 million individuals have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis.

Once bone loss is detected, numerous therapies (diet, dietary supplements, weight-bearing exercise, and medication) can be prescribed to slow or halt the progression of the process, and possibly even increase bone density

Virtual Colonscopy:

Purpose: To detect cancer and polyps (small growths that may become cancerous) in the colon. More than 95% of all colon cancers start as benign polyps that gradually transform to a malignant state over a ten to fifteen year period.

For whom appropriate: Men and women 50 or older. Younger individuals with the following risk factors should also be considered:

Family history of colon cancer

Personal history of inflammatory bowel disease

Personal history of endometrial and/or breast cancer

For whom NOT appropriate: Anyone with:

Personal history of polyps

Suspected colonic perforation

Suspected toxic megacolon

Recent colonic biopsy

Suspected Hirschsprung's disease

Suspected acute diverticulitis

Suspected colitis, all causes

Suspected colonic fistula

Previous anal, rectal and/or colonic surgery

Significance:

Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in the United States. It is second only to lung cancer as a cancer cause of death.

In excess of 50,000 Americans die each year from colon cancer.

Approximately 5% of all Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer at some time in their life

Smoking, drinking, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and a diet high in fats and low in fruits and vegetables all increase the risk of colon cancer.

Colon cancer progresses very slowly, which means the survival/cure rate can be as high as 90% if the cancer is detected early. Unfortunately, less than half of the U.S. population over the age of 50 has ever had any screening for colon cancer, and less than 20% of this population has ever had a colonoscopy.

Advantages of Virtual Colonoscopy vs. Traditional Colonoscopy:

Virtual Colonoscopy visualizes 100% of the interior and exterior colon. Traditional colonoscopy typically visualizes only 80% of the interior colon, as it is unable to see behind colon folds, where polyps may hide. Additionally, in approximately 5% of all cases, the patient’s colon is too long to allow traditional colonoscopy to reach the cecum (the beginning of the colon) .

Traditional colonoscopy requires the insertion of a 5 foot long scope in the patient’s rectum, with the attendant possible risk of colon perforation. Virtual Colonoscopy requires the insertion of a 1 inch catheter to allow for the introduction of carbon dioxide to inflate the colon.

Traditional colonoscopy requires the administration of anesthesia, with all its attendant potential complications and activity restrictions for the remainder of the day . Virtual Colonoscopy does not require anesthesia, and therefore the patient can resume normal activities immediately after this 30 minute procedure.

Traditional colonoscopy requires strict dietary preparation and vigorous bowel cleansing with harsh laxatives. Virtual Colonoscopy requires mild dietary preparation and mild bowel cleansing.

Traditional colonoscopy only examines the colon, while Virtual Colonoscopy allows for the examination of the other organs of the abdomen and pelvis.