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On June 30, 2011, results of a $250 million federally funded study - the National Lung Screening Trial - were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 53,500 men and women in the United States participated in the study on use of CT scans to screen for lung cancer. The results indicate that screening certain heavy smokers and ex-smokers, over age 55, may reduce their chance of dying from lung cancer. The death rate was reduced by 20% in patients who underwent CT scans (in comparison to screening with chest X-rays).
This research may be an important advance toward reducing deaths from lung cancer, but there are caveats. CT scans produced false alarms in about 27 percent of the study participants. Critics argue this led to some patients undergoing unnecessary, costly, and risky follow-up procedures and tests.
In an August 2011 Washington Post report on the topic, Dr. Otis Brawley (chief medical & scientific officer for the American Cancer Society) stated, "Screening for lung cancer saves lives, but it is a double-edged sword…There's a huge benefit, but there's also a documented risk and a documented harm."
Many national medical organizations have recommended that doctors and patients wait for further data. Important additional information may include results of a federally funded cost-benefit analysis, which is pending. Insurers, including the U.S. government's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, plan to review the outcomes of those deliberations before deciding whether to provide coverage for screening CT scans. |
