Spiral CT Scans for Lung Cancer Screening: Fact Sheet


Lung cancer, which is most frequently caused by cigarette smoking, is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, claiming almost 162,460 lives in 2006. Spiral computed tomography (CT or CAT) scans are being tested as a new way to find early lung cancer in smokers and former smokers. At present, however, questions remain about the technology's risks and benefits as a screening tool.
Promising evidence from several studies shows that the scans can detect small lung cancers. But detecting these early tumors has not been proven to reduce the likelihood of dying from lung cancer, the gold standard for any cancer screening test.