FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR LIFESCAN

What is a LifeScan?

What is a CT scan?

What areas of the body are scanned?

What types of scans are available?

Which procedure should I have done and what is the difference?

What is Calcium Score?

Is the Calcium Score included in the LifeScan?

Who should have cardiac scoring?

What is the minimum age for LifeScan?

Is the LifeScan with or without contrast?

Do I need to be sedated?

What Happens During the Examination?

How is the CT Image or CT scan Performed?

Do I need a prescription?

How should I dress for the exam?

Is the scan painful?

What if I get claustrophobic?

Is there any special preparation required?

How long does it take?

What will the scan detect?

Will I be exposed to radiation?

Is the scan covered by insurance?

What are the benefits and risks?

What is the difference between scanning and screening?

What diseases or conditions are most often discovered?

When will I receive the results? Or what happens after examination? Or Will I receive a copy of the results?

Who will have access to my medical records?

What type of equipment do you use?

Who will perform my exam?

What if I have metal implants in my body?

I do not have a family history of cancer or heart disease, why should I be scanned?

When should I be scanned again?

Why should I choose DPI?

Is the LifeScan going to find everything that can possibly be wrong in my body?

DPI LifeScan Disclaimer

What is a LifeScan?

LifeScan is a CT procedure that scans the Brain, Chest, Abdomen and Pelvis area of the body. It provides great images of the organs and allows us to see any abnormalities in the body. For example, CT can assist in:

• Detecting strokes, head injuries, herniated discs, abscesses,
• Diagnosing changes in various organs
• Examination of the heart and of the coronary vessels
• Early Diagnosing of lung and intestinal cancer

What is a CT scan?

CT is short for Computerized Tomography. It is used to view the internal system of the body. It uses x-rays and computers to create a cross-sectional slice of the body. The CT scanner produces slices of the body in much the same way a loaf of bread is sliced. Each image provides detailed anatomy of the body at the specific areas, including bones, soft tissue, brain, organs and blood vessels.

What areas of the body are scanned?

Brain, Chest, Abdomen and Pelvis

What types of scans are available?

LifeScan: CT of Brain, Chest, Abdomen and Pelvis ($1,200 subject to change)
LifeScan: CT of the Chest ($300 subject to change)
LifeScan: Calcium Score ($300 subject to change)
LifeScan: Calcium Score with CT the Chest ($450 subject to change)

Which procedure should I have done and what is the difference?

Most people get a complete LifeScan, which includes CT of the Brain, Chest, Abdomen, Pelvis and a Calcium Score. However if money is a constraint, it may depend on your personal and family history. For example, if you have a family history of heart disease you may want to get a CT of the Chest and a calcium Score. If you are a smoker, or were a smoker, you definitely want to include the CT of the chest. If you just want to make sure everything is normal and you are health conscious, a complete LifeScan and Calcium Score should be done.

What is Calcium Score?

Cardiac calcium scoring uses a special x-ray test to check for the buildup of calcium and plaque on the walls of the arteries of the heart (coronary arteries). This test is used to check for heart disease in an early stage and to determine how severe it is. Cardiac calcium scoring is also called coronary artery calcium scoring. The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart. Normally, the coronary arteries do not contain calcium. Calcium in the coronary arteries is a sign of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Is the Calcium Score included in the LifeScan?

No

Who should have cardiac scoring?

Cardiac scoring is recommended for generally healthy, asymptomatic males over age 45 and females over age 55 who are at risk for CAD. Individuals with a strong family history of heart disease may want to undergo cardiac scoring as early as age 35 or 45. The following are major risk factors for CAD:
Family history of coronary artery disease

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• History of smoking
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• High level of stress

What is the minimum age for LifeScan?

LifeScan is a study that can look into the human body and detect various issues that can affect you health. We will accept anyone over the age of 35 that wants to make sure everything is OK on the inside of their body.

Is the LifeScan with or without contrast?

The LifeScan is completed without contrast.

Do I need to be sedated?

No

What Happens During the Examination?

During the examination you will be lying on your back, on a comfortable table. This table will then slowly move you through the opening of the examination unit called the gantry. All you need to do now is pay attention to the instructions of the CT technologist who may, for example, ask you to briefly hold your breath or not to move certain regions of your body. As with conventional X-ray examinations, you will not feel the acquisition of CT images at all; you will only hear a low whirring noise. The patient table will move slightly during the entire examination. There is no Tube as in MRI, so even highly claustrophobic patients can get thru this exam easily.

How is the CT Image or CT scan Performed?

While you are on the CT table, the x-ray system is taking extremely detailed cross-sectional images of your body. These images allow our Radiologist to view your internal organs and give a diagnosis of your health.

Do I need a prescription?

Yes, our DPI LifeScan Internal Medicine physician will write your prescription. Our board-certified radiologist will interpret the images and provide the findings to our LifeScan physician. We will schedule a 15 minute appointment with our physician to review your results and your plan of action. This consultation will take place usually within a few days of your LifeScan.

How should I dress for the exam?

Please wear loose, comfortable clothes, no metal and jewelry. For head and neck examinations: please remove all jewelry, hairpins, eyeglasses, hearing aids and dentures or leave them at home.

Is the scan painful?

No. CT Scanning is a quick non-invasive painless procedure.

What if I get claustrophobic?

Even Claustrophobic people can handle this procedure as it is in an open system.

Is there any special preparation required?

Only two things must be done before undergoing cardiac scoring: no caffeine and no smoking 4 hours before the examination. Drinking caffeine and smoking before the test increases your heart rate. In order to have an accurate study, your heart rate should be below 80 beats per minute (bpm). As the heart rate increases over 80 bpm, it is more difficult to take images of the heart in diastole (ie, period of relaxation) which decreases the accuracy of the test results. If the heart rate is too elevated (ie, over 90 bpm), it may be necessary to reschedule your test for another day. If you anticipate your heart rate being a problem during cardiac scoring, a beta-blocker can be prescribed to help lower your heart rate for the examination. Lastly, since many over-the-counter medications contain caffeine (such as diet pills, No Doz, Excedrin, and Anacin), do not take any over-the-counter medication that contains caffeine for 4 hours before the test.

How long does it take?

There is no general answer to this question. The duration of a CT examination depends on which body regions are scanned. Although with our modern spiral CT scanner the actual images are produced within a few seconds, you should expect the examination to last approximately 10 to 15 minutes. You should expect to be with us no longer than one hour total. After your examination, please allow about 10 min. for your images to be saved onto a CD.

What will the scan detect?

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the two most common causes of death in the United States. The CT body screening (LifeScan) represents a pro-active approach to detect heart disease and many cancers. A quick and painless CT body screening may detect heart disease, aneurysms of the aorta, vascular disease, lung tumors, kidney and liver tumors, as well as certain abnormalities in the abdominal and pelvic region. With heart disease and cancer responsible for almost three out of every four deaths, early detection is important to effective treatment and recovery.
Even though we believe your CT scan is highly accurate, we cannot claim to find all abnormalities. If your screening is negative today, you could develop symptoms later. A negative CT screening today should not deter you from looking for other avenues of determining maximum health.

Will I be exposed to radiation?

CT scanners use X-rays. Your radiation exposure is kept to a minimum. Our experienced CT technologists have a whole series of dose saving functions at their disposal. Our CT scanners are designed to ensure the consistent reduction of radiation exposure to patients and staff. We offer an optimal combination of low radiation exposure and short examination times while maintaining excellent image quality. Our CT scanners come with a software package (CARE DOSE) especially designed to reduce radiation exposure.
(FOR WOMEN PATIENTS ): X-rays may harm a developing fetus. Pregnant women should therefore avoid having a CT scan.)

Is the scan covered by insurance?

No. Insurances only pay for these procedures after symptoms develop. Normally, when symptoms appear, it’s already too late. The best chance for surviving cancer or a heart disease is early diagnosis. That is why it’s so important to get the answers with early screening. Even though insurance plans do not cover the cost of these screening tests, Diagnostic Professionals make it easy for you by accepting cash, check, and Visa and MasterCard. Payment is required at the time of your screening examination.

What are the benefits and risks?

A CT scan sees inside your body, and also into areas that cannot be visualized by standard x-ray examinations. The results of CT allow radiologists to diagnose certain diseases (cancer, tumor or heart disease) earlier, and more precisely. Since diseases are treated more successfully when diagnosed early, CT scans can help save lives. With CT you will receive the best of treatments from highly qualified and experienced experts. The negative is that a CT scan involves some radiation. There are many health care professionals that believe the benefits of CT greatly outweigh the negatives of the radiation involved. There are others that do not recommend it. We believe the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. It becomes a personal choice. Do you want to know, or do you not want to know? That is your personal question that only you can answer!

What is the difference between scanning and screening?

It is the same procedure however scanning is usually done after symptoms occur and screening is done before symptoms occur.

What diseases or conditions are most often discovered?

The diseases most often discover are tumors, cancer and heart disease.

When will I receive the results? Or what happens after examination? Or Will I receive a copy of the results?

You will receive a CD with all the images the same day of your appointment. The board-certified radiologist will analyze the images and send a diagnostic report to our LifeScan physician within 24-48 hours. We will schedule you an appointment with our LifeScan Physician, who will then discuss the results of the CT examination with you. This is a 15 minute consultation usually scheduled within a few days. However, if we find something that we believe is urgent, our radiologist will contact the referring physician who will notify you as soon as possible.

Who will have access to my medical records?

We will keep your medical records for seven years and have access to them. Our referring physician who provides the consultation will also have access.

What type of equipment do you use?

We have a state of the art Siemens Sensation CT scanner.

Who will perform my exam?

The exam will be performed by our ARRT and State accredited Technologist. The images will be reviewed by our board-certified Radiologist. Your consultation will be done by an authorized LifeScan Internal Medicine Physician.

What if I have metal implants in my body?

If you have metal implants is ok but it may block some section of the body making it difficult or impossible to see behind the implant.

I do not have a family history of cancer or heart disease, why should I be scanned?

Cancer and Heart Disease are the leading cause of death every year. Many of the people who die of these diseases have never had any history of cancer or heart disease in their family. Your life style - drinking, smoking, the foods you eat, also contribute to health risks that can lead to complications.

When should I be scanned again?

Cancer and heart disease can happen at any time before or after your scan. We do not recommend these types of scans annually, however once every few years should be considered.

Why should I choose DPI?

We offer you excellence in CT imaging by providing you with great technology, highly experienced technologists, board-certified radiologists and convenient facilities. Our reputation in the community is outstanding with over 4,000 referring physicians referring their patients to us.

Is the LifeScan going to find everything that can possibly be wrong in my body?

We would love to tell you we have the fool proof procedure that is 100% accurate. Even though this technology is amazing, it is not the answer to every possible thing that can be wrong with you. We truly believe in this study, or we would not offer it. There are many health conscious people that would love to have the answers that this study can give. LifeScan is for these people. With that said, the following disclaimer must be read and signed by all those who chose that the LifeScan is for them.

DPI LifeScan Disclaimer

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the two most common causes of death in the United States. The CT body screening (LifeScan) represents a pro-active approach to detect heart disease and many cancers. A quick and painless CT body screening may detect heart disease, aneurysms of the aorta, vascular disease, lung tumors, kidney and liver tumors, as well as certain abnormalities in the abdominal and pelvic region. With heart disease and cancer responsible for almost three out of every four deaths, early detection is important to effective treatment and recovery.
A CT body scan is not intended to create or promote a doctor-patient relationship, and does not constitute and should not be relied upon as medical advice. All content is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor. Always consult your own physician if you're in any way concerned about your health.
Even though we believe your CT scan is highly accurate, we cannot claim to find all abnormalities. If your screening is negative today, you could develop symptoms later. A negative CT screening today should not deter you from looking for other avenues of determining maximum health.
The CT body Scan has not been approved by the FDA. The FDA recommends before having a CT screening procedure, carefully investigate and consider the potential risks and benefits and discuss them with your physician.
By making the decision to get a LifeScan, you understand that you are about to receive a screening computed tomography (CT) study without contrast. Although this study is intended to detect certain diseases in their early stages (and there may not be any symptoms at this time), you understand that, as with all tests, there are limitations, and that some conditions may not be visible on this examination
You also acknowledge that you understand that the CT screening you are about to receive will expose your body to a small amount of ionizing radiation and that this imposes a slight increased risk for development of certain types of cancer. You agree to follow up with your personal physician if your report contains any positive results or recommends follow up and you understand that such follow up is your sole responsibility. We recommend that even if your report is negative, that you provide a copy of it to your personal physician for inclusion in your medical record.