The National Cancer Institute has developed a guide for patients and clinicians to review the data from the NLST to facilitate communication about the benefits and harms of screening.
Summing from the table and extrapolating from the study results here are some possible talking points:
– Mortality is decreased by 20% relative to cxr alone
over a 3 year period, Out of 1000 patients, 18 will die from lung cancer vs 21 without a CT (3 fewer).
In 1 year,
– Out of 1000 patients, you will pick up a resectable cancer in 6.45 patients
– Out of 1000 patients, you will pick up a false positive in 6.45 patients
Enrollement criteria: Aged 55 to 74 years and in fairly good health, have a 30 year hx or greater, and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years