CT scans cut lung cancer deaths by 20 percent

Current or former heavy smokers screened with low-dose CT scans experienced a 20 percent reduction in lung cancer deaths compared to those screened using chest X-rays, a US study said on June 27.
The National Lung Screening Trial, conducted starting in 2002 among 53,454 patients at a high risk of developing lung cancer, is the first to show that screening using low-dose celical computed tomography can reduce lung cancer mortality by identifying tumours early.
Patients have often not learned they had lung cancer until they experience symptoms of the disease, at which time the cancer is likely advanced and has less chances of getting cured. The research results, published online in the New England Journal of Medicine, provides a more detailed analysis of results first published in November 2010, along with additional data showing a stronger link between the use of the CT scans and a drop in mortality.