The Spanish Society of Medical Radiology (SERAM) says that performing regular low-dose chest CT scans in people at risk leads to early lung cancer detection and mortality reduction.
In a press release issued on 16 November, the SERAM advocates the periodic performance of low-dose chest CT scans for at-risk people. This comes as other countries in the EU have initiated national screening programs, which the SERAM said should also be accompanied by smoking cessation programs.
“Those who benefit most from lung cancer screening with chest CT are current and former smokers over 50 years of age with a significant tobacco burden,” said cardiothoracic radiologist Dr. Marcelo Sánchez.
In the absence of screening, lung cancer kills more than colon, breast, and prostate cancer combined, and overall 5-year survival is less than 15%. “If lung cancer screening were performed, tumors would be detected at early stages and survival would improve,” Sánchez noted.
SERAM is convinced that chest CT screening programs provide an opportunity to detect other common and important pathologies in smokers and ex-smokers. It also emphasized the role of radiologists in screening programs and assessment.
The full release can be found here.
