A study comparing the use of computed tomography (CT) versus standard chest x-rays for screening those at high risk for lung cancer found that CT screening resulted in 20% fewer deaths from the disease. The large study looked at more than 53,000 people aged 55 to 74 years who had a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years, and continued for 8 years. The study was halted when the benefit of CT screening became clear; it was funded by the National Cancer Institute, and full results will be published in the coming months.
