CT in COPD: just a pretty picture or really worth a thousand words (or dollars)?

The authors reflects on computed axial tomography (CT) scans' economic costs. The authors state that the expense of CT scans for patients and the healthcare system remains an issue that needs to be addressed. However, the authors mention that two studies suggest that emphysema's CT-based measurements in smokers prove crucial in determining who is at high risk of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progression.