|
Why is this study needed? Lung cancer, which is most frequently caused by cigarette smoking, is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. It is expected to claim nearly 155,000 lives in 2002. Lung cancer kills more people than cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, and pancreas combined. There are an estimated 90 million current and former smokers in the United States, all of whom are at high risk for lung cancer.
How does spiral CT work? Spiral CT, also called helical CT, uses X-rays to scan the entire chest in about 15 to 25 seconds, during a single, large breath-hold. Throughout the procedure, the participant lies still on a table. The table and patient pass through the CT scanner, which is shaped like a donut with a large hole. The scanner rotates around the participant and a computer creates images from the scan, assembling them into a 3-D model of the lungs.
How is spiral CT used in hospitals now? More than half of the hospitals in the United States own a spiral CT machine. These machines are routinely used for staging lung and other cancers--that is, determining how advanced the cancer is after diagnosis. Recently some hospitals have begun performing spiral CT scans as a new way to find early lung cancer in smokers and former smokers.
Click here to find out more: National Lung Screening Trial Questions and Answers (National Cancer Institute)
|
|
