nnual Screening Chest X-Rays Don't Lead to Increased Survival in Lung Cancer

Annual Screening Chest X-Rays Don't Lead to Increased Survival in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer mortality is not reduced among people who undergo annual screening with chest x-rays, according to a report in JAMA.

Some 155,000 people aged 55 through 74 were randomized either to annual screening with chest radiographs or to usual care for 4 years. After a median follow-up of 12 years, lung cancer mortality in the two groups was roughly the same: 14.0 per 10,000 person-years in the x-ray group and 14.2 among controls.
An editorialist says that the results are valuable for putting to rest the question of whether lung cancer screening with chest radiographs is effective.

JAMA article (Free)

JAMA editorial (Free)

Journal Watch General Medicine coverage of CT vs. x-ray screening (Free)