CT Scans in Screening for Lung Cancer in Current and Former Smokers

Subjects will be asked to complete an additional detailed questionnaire regarding personal information about themselves, their medical history, their diet and lifestyle habits, any past or current environmental exposures and to re-create their family tree for any cancers that have occurred in any of their family members.

The baseline and repeat screening CT scans will be performed with a multi-slice helical CT scanner (8 or more rows), at a low-dose setting (120kVp, 40-80mA, slice thickness of 1.25 mm or less). In a single breath-hold, contiguous slices from the thoracic inlet to the adrenal glands will be obtained. Contrast material will not be used. Multi-slice scanners will be used because they provide higher-resolution images. Diagnostic studies, including HRCT will be performed with a multi-slice helical CT at diagnostic settings (120kVp, 140-300mA, slice thickness of 1.25 or less) with the nodule retrospectively reconstructed at a 15cm field of view.

When the CT scan at baseline does not lead to the diagnosis of malignancy, repeat screening will be scheduled 12 months later. If the initial scan led to further evaluation, the repeat scan will be performed 12 months after the most recent scan. The subjects will be allowed to add relevant health information to their record in the web-based database as it develops. Similarly, when in the first repeat screening malignancy is not diagnosed; the second repeat screening will be scheduled 12 months later for a total period of 5 years.

When the CT scan at baseline does not lead to the diagnosis of malignancy, repeat screening will be scheduled 12 months later. If the initial scan led to further evaluation, the repeat scan will be performed 12 months after the most recent scan. The subjects will be allowed to add relevant health information to their record in the web-based database as it develops. Similarly, when in the first repeat screening malignancy is not diagnosed; the second repeat screening will be scheduled 12 months later for a total period of 5 years.