2002 Volume 29 Issue 4 Pages 796-798
Purpose To assess whether multiphasic health testing and services (MHTS) using low-dose spiral CT can contribute to detecting small and early lung cancer, and subsequently decrease mortality. This report deals with clinical application of low-dose spiral CT to MHTS, as well as related issues.
Methods and Materials Starting April 1998, 8, 978 individuals (7, 243 men, 1735 women; range 50-69 years; average age, 57 years) underwent first baseline low-dose spiral CT. Low-dose spiral CT parameters were 120 kV, 50 mA, 10-mm collimation, and 2: 1 pitch. Each CT was read independently by two radiologisits and a physician. When the two readers could not reach consensus, the final decesion was made at a weekly conference. High resolution CT examination was performed our institute for cases with suspicion of lung cancer.
Results For 3 years from April 1998 through March 2001, the total number of the examinations amounted to 17, 785 (males 14, 050, females 3, 735) . Fifty three lung cancers were detected at the occasion of CT screening. Detection rate of lung cancer accounted for 0.457% in the baseline screening while the counterpart was 0.136% in the annual repeat screening.
Conclusion We have routinely performed low-dose spiral CT for all the participants at ages of more than 50 years upon the MHTS. Low-dose spiral CT is a potentially useful screening method in the detection of early lung cancer.