Screening for lung cancer: the guidelines.
Although virtually all individuals with advanced lung cancer succumb to the disease, a substantial portion of individuals diagnosed at an earlier stage can be cured. This dichotomy has provoked interest in lung cancer screening. To date, randomized controlled trials of chest x-ray and sputum cytology have failed to demonstrate that screening with either modality decreases lung cancer mortality; neither of these technologies can be recommended. Early studies of lung cancer screening with low-dose CT (LDCT) appear promising; however, only data from observational studies are available. We recommend that individuals should only be screened with LDCT in the context of well-designed clinical trials.
Bach
Peter B
PB
Health Outcomes Research Group, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, Box 221, New York, NY 10021, USA. bachp@mskcc.org
Niewoehner
Dennis E
DE
Black
William C
WC
D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013183:Sputum; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed