Your low-dose CT scan results will be mailed to you and to your primary care provider within a few weeks. You can also access your results on MyAHS Connect.

The secure online tool lets you see some of your Alberta Health Services health information. In addition, if your results are abnormal or unclear, you will be contacted by the Screening Program to set up an appointment with our Nurse Practitioner to review your results and talk about the best next steps for you.

The following results occur after a low-dose CT scan:

• 90% of exams are normal. A normal result means that nothing abnormal was found in your scan. In many people, very small spots (nodules) are seen in the lungs, which are unlikely to be a cancer and are considered normal. It’s still important for your health to get screened every year.
• 7% of exams are unclear. In some people, small spots (nodules) are seen in the lungs that are unlikely to be cancer but still concerning enough that we do not want to wait one year to check on them again. Instead, the screening program may recommend another low-dose CT scan in 3 to 6 months to ensure the abnormality does not change.
• 3% of exams are abnormal. The result means a concerning area has been found in your lungs. It may or may not be cancer, but other tests may be needed to determine this.
• 10% of exams have incidental findings. When you get a low-dose CT scan, images of your lungs and other parts of your body like your heart, liver and thyroid glands are collected. Sometimes we find abnormalities unrelated to lung cancer that need more evaluation to find out what they are.

A low-dose CT scan can show lung nodules and small growths in the lung that may or may not be cancer. Lung nodules are very common, and not all nodules are cancerous. These nodules can be caused by inflammation, current or past infection, or non-infectious causes. Fortunately, very few of the nodules found are caused by cancer. The nodules are not cancer 95% of the time. A scan might be repeated later to see if the nodule is growing. Sometimes other tests might be ordered.

Please refer to the Lung Cancer screening Resources page for more information