Many people are aware of the need for early diagnosis and physical examination, but what kind of physical examination should be used, whether it is better to use chest X-ray or CT, and whether it will affect our body. These questions are still troubling people. CT is 4-10 times more sensitive than conventional chest X-ray in detecting early lung cancer, and can detect lung cancer at an early stage. Data from the International Early Lung Cancer Action Plan show that annual CT screening can detect 85% of stage I peripheral lung cancer, with an expected survival rate of 92% at 10 years after surgery. The U.S. National Lung Cancer Screening Trial also demonstrated that LDCT screening can reduce lung cancer mortality by 20%, making it the most effective lung cancer screening tool available. In China, the pilot technical guidelines for cancer screening and early diagnosis and treatment in a few regions recommend the use of CT for lung cancer screening in high-risk groups. So what kind of people are considered high-risk groups? Risk assessment factors for lung cancer screening include smoking history (current and past), radon exposure history, occupational history, history of cancer, family history of lung cancer, disease history (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or tuberculosis), and smoke exposure history (passive smoking exposure). The high-risk group of the population was: age
The NCCN guidelines recommend that this high-risk group should be defined as those aged 55 years or older with a history of smoking ≥30 pack years, a history of smoking cessation <15 years, or aged ≥50 years with a history of smoking ≥20 pack years, and several additional risk factors such as passive smoking risk factors.
guidelines recommend that screening for lung cancer is necessary for this high-risk group. Compared with chest radiography, CT can show lesion features, internal structures and surrounding related tissues more clearly, avoid lesions in hidden areas and overlapping areas that are not easily observed by chest radiography (e.g., apical lung, rib-diaphragm angle, paraspinal, posterior heart, etc.), clarify whether there are masses or lymph nodes enlargement in the mediastinum and hilum, and facilitate clinical staging of lung cancer. The amount of irradiation received by patients during CT examination is measured to be within the safe and permissible range, so you do not have to worry about the side effects of damage to your body. If you or your family members, friends, neighbors or people you care about are in the high-risk group and have never taken a CT of the chest, it is necessary to suggest them to have a CT so that any problems can be dealt with in time and no problems can be kept as a baseline image for future comparison.