The National Cancer Institute has announced the results of a study which compared the survival rates of heavy smokers who were screened for lung cancer using either chest X-rays or low-dose CT scans. Study participants checked with CT scans showed a 20 percent lower rate of lung cancer deaths than participants screened using standard X-rays. The researchers note that while data has shown that CT scans can detect lung cancer earlier than chest X-rays, this is the first study to show that CT scans can reduce lung cancer mortality rates.
From NCI’s press release:
The trial participants received their screening tests at enrollment and at the end of their first and second years on the trial. The participants were then followed for up to another five years; all deaths were documented, with special attention given to the verification of lung cancer as a cause of death. At the time the DSMB held its final meeting on October 20, 2010, a total of 354 deaths from lung cancer had occurred among participants in the CT arm of the study, whereas a significantly larger 442 lung cancer deaths had occurred among those in the chest X-ray group.
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