- Reseachers report that annual low-dose CT scans could increase 20-year survival rates for lung cancer to 81%.
- Currently, unscreened people with lung cancer have a 5-year survival rate of about 8%.
- Experts say the benefits of an annual low-dose CT scan outweigh the associated risks of these procedures.
People with lung cancer who receive an early diagnosis via low-dose CT screening have a 20-year survival rate of 81%, according to a study published today in the journal Radiology.
The researchers also report that the survival rate increases to 95% for people diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer who undergo the screening.
The large-scale, international study included 1,257 participants. The pool of participants included people with less than 10-pack smoking years (1 pack per day for 10 years) and those who never smoked but had exposure to cigarette smoke.
The scientists followed the participants for 20 years.
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The average 5-year survival rate for lung cancer diagnosed in latter stages is 8%, according to the American Lung Association.
Only about 23% of lung cancers are diagnosed in the early stages. The 5-year survival rate is 63% for people diagnosed in earlier stages.
In the new study, researchers reported that 81% of the participants who were diagnosed with lung cancer with CT scans were at stage 1.
Researchers said the results of the study show that after 20 years, people diagnosed with lung cancer at an early stage via CT screening have significantly better outcomes. Treating the cancer when it is small and has not yet spread to the lymph nodes can effectively cure the cancer, they noted.
“This new research study is…
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