COPD Detection Adds More Bang to CT Screening for Lung Cancer

Adding a short, low-dose sequence to a CT scan for lung cancer proved useful in identifying current and former heavy smokers with asymptomatic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new Dutch study shows.

(Video courtesy of the Journal of the American Medical Association)

While the 2010 US National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) proved that using CT scans to diagnose lung cancer in heavy smokers reduced deaths by 20 percent compared to conventional x-rays, questions about the cost-effectiveness of doing so remain. Whether adding the ability to diagnose COPD in these patients tips the balance in favor of CT screening in this population is unclear. The study appears in the Oct. 26, 2011 Journal of the American Medical Association. (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)