Digital chest tomosynthesis used as a screening tool for lung cancer shows comparable rates of detection to low-dose CT.
Digital chest tomosynthesis (DT) detected a comparable number of noncalcified lung nodules as low-dose CT during lung cancer screening, according to a study published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
Italian researchers conducted a single-arm observational study comparing the use of DT with CT in a population that was at risk for developing lung cancer. From December 2010 to December 2011, 1,843 patients were enrolled from an initial group of 1,919 candidates. They ranged in age from 48 to 73, with a mean age of 61. Seventy-seven percent were current smokers; the remaining had a history of at least 20-pack years, without malignancy in the previous five years before the study. DT was performed at baseline and again one year later.
The researchers found that DT detected pulmonary abnormalities in 268 subjects (14.5 percent) and first-line basal CT was subsequently carried out in 132 subjects (7.2 percent), 68 (4.9 percent) of which were referred for follow-up CT. Positron-emission tomography/CT was performed on 27 individuals (1.46 percent), and lung cancer was detected in 18 (0.98 percent) of them.
The authors concluded that the DT holds promise as use for first-line lung cancer screening, particularly because of its lower cost and the reduction of radiation dosages.
Can CT-Based Deep Learning Bolster Prognostic Assessments of Ground-Glass Nodules?
June 19th 2025Emerging research shows that a multiple time-series deep learning model assessment of CT images provides 20 percent higher sensitivity than a delta radiomic model and 56 percent higher sensitivity than a clinical model for prognostic evaluation of ground-glass nodules.
Can Contrast-Enhanced Mammography be a Viable Screening Alternative to Breast MRI?
June 17th 2025While the addition of contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) to digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) led to over a 13 percent increase in false positive cases, researchers also noted over double the cancer yield per 1,000 women in comparison to DBT alone.