How questions about mammography apply to CT scans for lung cancer

Army Captain William Krüger studies CT scans at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.

Here we go again.

With the last round of mammography wars still fresh in mind, there is solid evidence that a different technology take a 20 percent reduction among people at highest risk a slice from the lung cancer mortality.

But to include lung screening a deep breath and the impact of major new federal study CT look a little closer.

 

For better or worse, screening mammography will have much in common CT lung.

Strikingly, the 20 percent mortality reduction found, investigated reduce breast cancer cancer deaths of 10 to 30 percent for lung cancer CT screening in the same ballpark as the likely benefit from mammography - depending on age of those.So if breast cancer screening standard set lung CT test passed.

But lung CT shares strikingly similar disadvantages with mammography.

Consider the following: the study found that a life for each shielded of lung cancer is saved 300 people.As Dr Peter Bach at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center notes is this absolute mortality risk reduction of only one-third of one percent.

This advantage comes to a real clinical cost, though. get to twenty-five percent of 300 people - 75 in all - a positive CT screen, the most likely cancer not.This is called a false positive.

The false positive rate for screening mammography is the same – 24 percent of women will have at least a false-positive mammography over a 10 year period according to a study.

Just like mammography, are people who get a suspicious result with lung cancer CT for an emotional roller coaster ride.You will be prompted for an other CT three to six months later come back to see, if the suspicious lumps up to do it, or when the next test is not unique, you may be a needle biopsy must - a long needle stuck in the lungs, get a bit of suspicious tissue.And some will need exploratory surgery to open chest.

A recent study found that the false positive rate for lung cancer CT 33 percent among those the two screening tests - higher than the new federal study found is hatten.Und under these seven percent end with an invasive followup test - biopsy or surgery.

Another implication: the cost of each lung CT (several hundred dollars depending on the National Cancer Institute) is just the tip of the iceberg, just like in mammography. Add mammography screening an another $33 to follow up.Es false alarms for every $100 spent is not clear how much will be the corresponding addon for CT lung screening.

Step back, think you how this applies to the staggering 92 million current and former smokers in the country, screening could be candidates for lung CT.

The results of lung CT study applies only to the heaviest smokers and former smokers among you, but that's a high Anteil.Und if people look lung of scan lower risk, your opportunities to reduce their risk of lung of cancer death of low sein.Aber be the risk of false positives and all related are the same or perhaps later.

None of this is to say we should not get the most out of the lungs CT screening with the least damage possible. but now, it's just not obvious how to achieve that.

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