Screening Services

Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg Screenings Program

Medical Imagining of Fredericksburg, a member of the Mary Washington Healthcare family of services, now offers three preventative screenings for colorectal cancers, heart disease, and lung cancer. Patients often worry about the amount of radiation they will receive, but all three tests are safe. The radiation dose for these scans is equivalent to living a year in Denver and being exposed to the natural background radiation found there. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the CT Screenings Coordinator at 540.741.7644.

Lung Scan

If detected and treated in the earliest stage, lung cancer survival may be as high as 70 percent. Unfortunately, lung cancer can grow undetected for years before symptoms are present. However, our Lung Scan can identify lung cancer six times earlier than a conventional chest x-ray. Former or current smokers, people exposed to toxic fumes or asbestos, people with a family history of lung disease or are experiencing symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing or chest pain should consider a Lung Scan.

Our CT scanner takes hundreds of images of your chest in a matter of seconds. Multiple images are obtained during one breath-hold. The scan takes about 10 minutes to complete. Immediately after the scan, you will receive a consult with a radiologist who will read and interpret your Lung Scan images. You and your physician will receive a detailed report of the findings and recommended action.

Who should consider a Lung Scan:

• Those 55 to 75 years of age
• Have a 30 pack-year smoking history (pack-years = packs per day x years smoked)
• Have been exposed to toxic fumes or asbestos, people with a family history of lung disease
• Are experiencing symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing or chest pain
• No prior cancer diagnosis in the past 5 years (other than basal cell skin cancer)
• No treated pneumonia in the past three months.

To find out if a Low Dose Lung Scan is right for you call the CT Screenings Coordinator at 540.741.7644 to schedule an appointment.  The cost is $325 and it not covered by insurance. No physician referral is necessary.

Virtual Colonoscopy

According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancers are the second most common type of cancer in men and women. However, if colon cancer is caught early enough, it is one of the most treatable forms of cancer. It is important to have regular colon screenings starting at age 50. If you have a family or personal history of colorectal cancer, polyps, or chronic inflammatory bowel disease, you should start screenings at a younger age.

Unlike a traditional colonoscopy, our virtual colonoscopy does not require anesthesia, IV lines, or a colonoscope. Instead, you lie on the scanning table for about 10 minutes. Air is introduced into the colon. This allows distention of the colon to enable the scanner to take accurate images of the colon.

After the scan, a computer reconstructs a series of 3D, semi-transparent images of the colon. A radiologist interprets the test image, and you and your physician will receive a report of the findings and recommended action.

Heart Scan  -  10% off Heart Scans; Click here for more information

Heart disease is the number one killer for both men and women in America and often has few visible symptoms. Our Heart Scan is a non-invasive screening tool that measures the amount of calcium (plaque) in the coronary arteries. Men age 40-plus, women age 45-plus, or people with one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of cardiac disease should consider a Heart Scan.

Using a high-speed CT scanner, we look inside the heart and its arteries for calcium build-up. This measures and scores the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries and helps determine your risk for heart disease. The Heart Scan also detects plaque years before stress testing. The Heart Scan is painless and takes less than 30 minutes.

A radiologist will interpret your results. With these results, your physician can recommend lifestyle changes to help slow, stop, or even reverse heart disease.