Screening for lung cancer in a fixed population by biennial chest radiography.
All screening radiographs of the chest and other medical records of 107 patients with histologically proved lung cancer in a fixed population were reviewed to assess the efficacy of biennial chest radiography in detecting lung cancer. Radiographic abnormalities caused by tumors were initially detected in 58 patients (54%); the other 49 (46%) were detected radiographically in subsequent examinations. Thirty-six of the 40 solitary tumors were less than or equal to 4.0 cm in diameter when detected. There were no symptoms in 76% of cases, possibly associated with the predominance of peripheral adenocarcinomas. Routine 36 X 43-cm radiographs, postero-anterior stereoscopic and lateral projections, and comparison with previous radiographs facilitated detection of relatively small tumors in asymptomatic patients. The corrected 5-year survival rate from the time of detection was 20%.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D011859:Radiography