Table 4.

Recommended technical parameters for LDCT in lung cancer screening

Technical parameters for LDCT	For visual reviewa39	For quantitative volumetryb
Peak kilovoltage	100–140, adjusted for patient size	Same
Tube current-time product (mAs)	Adjust with kVp to achieve CTDIvol ≤ 3.0 mGy in average-size patient: Small patient (50–70 kg) = CTDIvol 0.25–2.8 mGy Average patient (70–90 kg) = CTDIvol 0.5–4.3 mGy Large patient (90–120 kg) = CTDIvol 1.0–5.6 mGy	Same
Pitch	0.83–1.43 (scanner specific)	Same
Nominal section thickness (mm)	≤2.5 mm, ≤1.0 mm preferred	≤1.25 mm
Section interval	≤section thickness	Same
Reconstruction filter	Manufacturer-specific; coronal & sagittal and maximum intensity projection reformations recommended	Highest resolution without edge enhancement
Multidetector CT scanner	Typically 16 detector rows or greater	Minimum 16 detector rows; 64 or greater preferred

LDCT, low-dose CT.

^aFrom the American Association of Physicists in Medicine; see ref. 39 for parameters specific to numerous scanner models.

^bScanner model and technical parameters should be the same for baseline and follow-up scans.