Irving, TX, Oct 4, 2017— It is often said a picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to helping smokers understand the intense risks they are taking each time they light up, the saying applies. That’s according to a new study that found simply showing smokers CT scans of their own lungs has positive impacts on encouraging them to quit.

“The study’s findings are quite significant in that any tool that can inspire a smoker to quit can very truthfully be a lifesaver,” says Dr. Gregory Echt, founder of PET/CT of Las Colinas. “While not every smoker in the study group quit after seeing their results, the percentage that did was actually quite impressive.”

The study that points to the benefits of using CT scans to illustrate the dangers of smoking involved more than 4,000 smokers between the ages of 50 and 75. Researchers split the study group into two: one set of patients underwent CT screening; the other did not. About 10 percent of those in the CT group kicked the smoking habit within two weeks of seeing their results. At the two-year mark, the number of quitters rose to 15 percent. Only about 5 percent of those in the control group had successfully quit by the 2-year mark.

“Lung cancer is often a highly preventable condition,” says Dr. Echt. “Even those with a track record of smoking for some time can dramatically lower their risks by leaving the habit behind.”

People who smoke are strongly urged to quit. Lung cancer affects more than 222,000 Americans each year, and claims an estimated 155,000 lives. Smoking is the number one risk factor for this often-fatal form of cancer.

For more information about PET/CT of Las Colinas, visit the imaging center online.

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PET / CT of Las Colinas was developed with both patients and physicians in mind and our services have been used for various types of disease; primarily in detecting, staging and monitoring cancer, but also in heart disease and brain disorders.