Lung Cancer Screening
Two tests have commonly been used to screen for lung cancer.
It has not yet been shown that screening for lung cancer with either of the
following tests decreases the chance of dying from lung cancer:
Chest x-ray
A chest x-ray is an x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray
is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a
picture of areas inside the body.
Sputum cytology
Sputum cytology is a procedure in which a sample of sputum (mucus that is
brought up from the lungs by coughing) is viewed under a microscope to check for
cancer cells.
Other tests are being studied in clinical trials.
Spiral CT scan
Spiral CT scan is a procedure that makes a series of very detailed pictures
of areas inside the body using an x-ray machine that scans the body in a spiral
path. The pictures are made by a computer linked to the x-ray machine. This
procedure is also called a helical CT scan.
Screening clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country.
Information about NCI's lung screening trial can be found at the National Lung
Screening Trial (NLST) Web site. Information about other clinical trials is
available from the NCI Cancer.gov Web site.
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