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3 CT scans a year might cut lung cancer deaths by 20%, drastically increase "false positive" findings, at high cost
Reuters
A landmark study showing that routine lung screening of heavy smokers and former smokers using low-dose CT scans might save thousands of lives is sure to set off a fierce debate about the cost of such testing on an overburdened healthcare system.
The U.S. National Cancer Institute studied more than 53,000 people between the ages of 55 and 74 deemed at high risk of developing lung cancer. It found that screening with the three-dimensional X-rays cut deaths by 20 percent.
At the same time, false positive tests — showing lung cancer where none existed — increased by 95 percent in the study.
Details of the study and a discussion of its implications were published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, lending additional weight to initial findings that were released in November.
The discussion noted that radiologists using more advanced CT equipment than was available for the study could lead to an even larger reduction in lung cancer deaths.
According to the November study, heavy smokers who were scanned lowered their risk of death from 1.65 percent to 1.32 percent. In other words, about 300 people would need to be scanned to stave off one death.
Despite the small benefit, some cancer experts say the results demand CT screening for high risk individuals become the standard of care.
