Computed tomography screening for cancer

doi:10.1136/bmjusa.03040002

BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmjusa.03040002, (Published 6 May 2003)

Editorial

Computed tomography screening for cancer

Where are we going?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

From BMJ USA 2003;April:186

Whole body computed tomography (CT) screening is the focusof a major advertising campaign in the United States. Enticing testimonials on billboards and radio spots urge the publicto use this technology, implying that there is much to gainand little to lose. How should primary care physicians advisetheir patients?

In one sense, CT screening does have much to offer. As partof a National Institutes of Health study, our center has usedCT to screen for lung cancer for the past four years and hasidentified 56 lung cancers. Fully 62% of the non-small cellcancers were stage IA.¹ In the absence of screening, only 15%-20%of lung cancers present at stage IA. Five-year survival forstage I lung cancers, which is approximately 60%-70%, is higherthan that for cancers diagnosed at more advanced stages. Thereis little doubt that . . . [Full text of this article]