Siemens Healthcare announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its Somatom computed tomography (CT) systems for low-dose lung cancer screening.

The company reports that it offers a comprehensive approach to low-dose lung cancer screening with its new CT scanners, as well as its already-installed base of non-end-of-support systems. The FDA-cleared CT systems use standard low-dose lung protocols. With the Somatom Scope 16-slice CT system and Somatom Force, Siemens says it makes low-dose lung cancer screening more broadly available to customers.

According to Siemens, lung cancer screening represents an opportunity for improving population health through earlier detection and better follow-up for high-risk patients, which is why the company pursued the most expansive indication for lung cancer screening in its Somatom CT scanners. Obtaining this indication for low-dose CT lung cancer screening represents a milestone for both the company and the CT imaging modality, the company says. CT has long been used as a benchmark diagnostic tool for symptomatic patients; now, it can be used as a viable screening tool for a subset of high-risk asymptomatic patients. For those patients, Siemens says, the technology can have a significant impact on mortality and improve early diagnosis.

The indication for low-dose lung cancer screening is available in several Siemens Somatom CT systems, including Somatom Force, Definition Flash, Definition Edge, Definition AS/AS+, Perspective, Scope, and Emotion 16.

For more information about the company’s solutions for lung cancer screening, visit the Siemens website.