Screening With CT Scans Reduces Lung Cancer Deaths

The National Lung Screening Trial showed
that a regularscreening program using CT
scans can reduce lung cancerdeaths by as
much as 20 percent. (Photo courtesy National
Cancer Institute. Daniel Sone, photographer)

BETHESDA – June 30, 2011 – For the first time, a screening program for lung cancer has produced a reduction in lung cancer deaths. The US National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) published data today showing that routine low-dose CT scans in heavy smokers reduced deaths by 20 percent compared to conventional x-rays. Questions of cost-effectiveness and healthcare utilization, however, remain to be answered.

The NLST had announced the initial results of the $250 million trial last fall showing that low-dose CT scans reduced lung-cancer and deaths from any cause overall compared to x-ray screening. The full report appears today in the New England Journal of Medicine but it won’t be the final report as the researchers will be undertaking further analyses to determine if the substantially higher costs of CT scans are worth it. (Link to published site)

Screening With CT Scans Reduces Lung Cancer Deaths

The National Lung Screening Trial showed that a regular
screening program using CT scans can reduce lung
cancer deaths by as much as 20 percent. (Photo
courtesy National Cancer Institute. Daniel Sone,
photographer)

For the first time, a screening program for lung cancer has produced a reduction in lung cancer deaths. The US National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) published data today showing that routine low-dose CT scans in heavy smokers reduced deaths by 20 percent compared to conventional x-rays. Questions of cost-effectiveness and healthcare utilization, however, remain to be answered. (Link to published site)