Abstract
Objective: Some are of the opinion that curable lung cancer cannot be detected by conventional direct chest radiography (chest radiography) and that CT must be used to discover it. Despite this, we report the discovery of 6 cases of lung cancer through chest radiography in 1,395 examinees. This demonstrates the importance of attitude in radiograph interpretation.
Methods: Subjects were 1,395 persons with no respiratory symptoms who were examined in the Ningen Dock and General Internal Medicine Outpatient Departments of our hospital over an 18-month period beginning in March 2009. They were examined and had their radiographs interpreted by the author himself.
Results: Among 45 patients in whom lung cancer was suspected or could not be ruled out on the basis of chest radiographs, definitive diagnoses of lung cancer (including carcinoids) were made as a result of further detailed examinations or surgery at our hospital in 6 patients. Four of them had Stage IA cancer.
Conclusion: Through being completely focused, paying great attention to detail and tenacity in observation, we achieved a discovery rate of 0.4% for lung cancer using chest radiographs.
