Dallas

Low Dose CT Scan May Save Lives

A commonly overlooked screening test can save lives, and one Dallas man is living proof

The American Lung Association and the American Thoracic Society put out an eye-opening statistic this month: An estimated 25,000 Americans who are at high risk for developing lung cancer would be saved annually through low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans, but only 5 percent of people who qualify are screened. 

A low dose CT scan saved the life of a Dallas man, who's using his second chance to help save others.

Barney Brinkmann said he wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for piece of mail that he got two years ago.

"It was a mailer, just like any other mailer you get, but it said, "Are you a candidate for a low dose CT scan?'" he said.

At the time, Brinkmann was an avid runner, logging up to 10 miles a week, however his strong family history of cancer and 30 years of smoking when he was younger put him at high risk for lung cancer.

"There was no shortage of breathe, there was no coughing, there was no blood in my lungs or anything, and so I went in thinking I would be told I was okay," he said.

However, doctors found a one-inch nodule in his lung.

The good news was that the cancer was caught early and he'd only need surgery.

Dr. Kartik Konduri, an oncologist at Baylor University Medical Center, said many people fear a cancer diagnosis would mean a long, hard battle but nowadays, if it's caught early, he said better therapies can beat the cancer that was once a death sentence.

"Once a person gets diagnosed with lung cancer, there's a lot that can be done," Konduri said.

Brinkmann still gets a low-dose CT scan to see if the cancer has returned. So far, so good.

Lung cancer screening is recommended for those considered at high risk, which includes anyone age 55 to 80, who is a current smoker or who quit smoking in the last 15 years and smoked the equivalent of 30 pack-years.

Contact Us