Each year, lung cancer kills 160,000 people, claiming more lives than all other cancers combined. But initial findings of a national study suggest that computed tomography (CT) lung screenings could spare up to 30,000 lives lost to the disease every year.
The federally funded National Lung Screening Trial compared low-dose spiral CT to chest X-ray in the screening for lung cancer in 53,000 former and current heavy smokers between the ages of 55 and 74. The study revealed that the group who received CT screenings had 20 percent fewer deaths from lung cancer than those screened with chest X-ray, and 7 percent fewer deaths overall.
“There have been significant advances in the treatment of lung cancer over the last several decades, but little has changed in overall mortality because most lung cancers are caught too late,” says Gordon Teel, MD, a thoracic radiologist at Inland Imaging. “CT lung screening enables the detection and diagnosis of cancer in its early stages, and the results from the trial suggest that this will improve the patient’s chance of survival.”
CT, also known as CAT scan, combines special X-ray equipment and a computer to produce multiple cross-sectional pictures of organs and tissue inside the body. These detailed, three-dimensional images make it possible to detect abnormalities in the lung tissue that may go unseen in a traditional chest X-rays.
“CT scans have been used for 20 years in the early detection of lung cancer, but it was unclear whether or not the technique made a real difference in saving lives…up until now,” Teel says.
“The results of the National Lung Screening Trial, for the first time, give us hope we can make a meaningful reduction in the number of people who die from lung cancer,” says Teel, noting that Inland Imaging is an organization that “prides itself on practicing evidence-based medicine.”
CT lung screenings are available at Inland Imaging, but it is not appropriate for everyone. People at a high risk for lung cancer (e.g. heavy smokers for more than 20 years) should talk to their physicians to determine if a CT lung screening is a good option for them. The procedure has not yet been endorsed by a national body, nor is it currently reimbursed by Medicare or insurance. Teel stresses that not smoking is the most important factor in reducing the risk of lung cancer.