Summary
The United States have an estimated 91.5 million current and former smokers who are all at risk for lung cancer. In a study of 53,000 middle aged and elderly people who have smoked or are current smokers of a pack of cigarettes a day for at least 30 years, they found that Computed Tomography (CT) scan reduce death rates by 20 percent, which is much better than a regular chest X-Ray. Lung cancer kills more than 196,000 Americans a year. CT scan creates a three dimensional picture of the lungs and that helps physician see more tissues than in an x-ray. “The findings were so striking that the National Cancer Institute, which sponsored the study, halted the National Lung Screening Trial early so that the public and the study participants could be alerted.” Although the finding have many benefits critics are worried that this will increase the number of people going in for unnecessary screenings and over diagnoses. They are also worried about the cost of these screenings. CT scan costs about $300, and wide-scale screening could be very expensive. As of the moment Medicare and most private health-insurance companies do not cover CT scans for lung cancer screening.
Analysis
The findings of this study are amazing and I think it is great that they stopped once they realized that the CT scans are more helpful than x-rays. I do worry that long time smokers might use the results of this study as an excuse to continue smoking. I do not want them to think that just because there are screenings that will help find any abnormalities in lungs, that it is ok to continue smoking. The number preventative measure against lung cancer is not to start smoking. I also worry about the cost of the scans, what about those who cannot afford to pay the bill? Will the insurance companies pay for it, since a preventative measure?
USA
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/04/AR2010110407687.html
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