Survival in Stage I Lung Cancer Detected on CT

[teresag]

From 10/26/06 issue of New England Jnl of Medicine:

Survival of Patients with Stage I Lung Cancer Detected on CT Screening

The International Early Lung Cancer Action Program Investigators

Background The outcome among patients with clinical stage I cancer that is detected on annual screening using spiral computed tomography (CT) is unknown.

Methods In a large collaborative study, we screened 31,567 asymptomatic persons at risk for lung cancer using low-dose CT from 1993 through 2005, and from 1994 through 2005, 27,456 repeated screenings were performed 7 to 18 months after the previous screening. We estimated the 10-year lung-cancer–specific survival rate among participants with clinical stage I lung cancer that was detected on CT screening and diagnosed by biopsy, regardless of the type of treatment received, and among those who underwent surgical resection of clinical stage I cancer within 1 month. A pathology panel reviewed the surgical specimens obtained from participants who underwent resection.

Results Screening resulted in a diagnosis of lung cancer in 484 participants. Of these participants, 412 (85%) had clinical stage I lung cancer, and the estimated 10-year survival rate was 88% in this subgroup (95% confidence interval [CI], 84 to 91). Among the 302 participants with clinical stage I cancer who underwent surgical resection within 1 month after diagnosis, the survival rate was 92% (95% CI, 88 to 95). The 8 participants with clinical stage I cancer who did not receive treatment died within 5 years after diagnosis.

Conclusions Annual spiral CT screening can detect lung cancer that is curable.

[gail]

I've been saying this for 5 years now--how come medical science just figured it out?

My lung cancer was only found early because of my breast cancer. They thought we were looking at a breast mets, so I got the CT done. Stage 1A

gail