We screen for colon cancer and breast cancer, so why not for the number one cancer killer, lung cancer? Thats the question that motivated a recent international study funded by the American Cancer Society and many other organizations.

The bottom line is that traditional chest X-rays have not been able to identify cancer in time for successful treatment. But multi-angle CT scans might be able to do it.

Researchers at the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center screened more than 31,567 asymptomatic people who were at risk because they were current or former smokers. They were scanned and followed from 1993 through 2005. Those who had early stage tumors removed had a 10-year survival rate of 92 percentmuch higher than the single-digit percentage who survive once the disease has spread.

The researchers, led by Dr. Claudia Henschke, concluded that annual spiral CT screening can detect lung cancer that is curable, according to their study, Survival of Patients with Stage I Lung Cancer Detected on CT Screening, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.


However, the conclusions, although promising, are controversial because the study did not have a comparison group. Its not likely that regular scans will be recommended for smokers yet--or paid for by insurance.

About one million people will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year worldwide.

Read the details at http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/355/17/1763