Lung cancer screening in cigarette smokers in the province of Varese, Italy

✍ Scribed by Lorenzo Dominioni; Andrea Imperatori; Francesca Rovera; Alberto Ochetti; Massimo Paolucci; Gianlorenzo Dionigi

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 95 KB
• Volume: 89
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(20001201)89:11+<2345::aid-cncr5>3.0.co;2-b

✦ Synopsis

BACKGROUND.

For heavy cigarette smokers and recent former smokers who have accumulated a high risk of lung carcinoma, a primary objective is the early detection of that disease; this goal can be achieved by annual screening with one of the radiologic imaging methods available. While awaiting for the implementation of computed tomography or of other, more sensitive methods, it is quite reasonable to screen those who are at risk with annual chest X-ray (CXR), an examination that is readily available at low cost. Indeed, with the annual CXR screening of heavy smokers, it is possible to detect about 50% of lung carcinomas in TNM Stage I. The 5-year survival rate of patients with asymptomatic, screendetected Stage I disease after radical surgery is significantly greater than the survival rate of patients with symptomatic disease.