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Lung cancer afflicts hundreds of thousands of people per year, and early screening and detection can be extremely vital in fighting the disease. According to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, the estimates of new lung cancer cases and deaths are 228,190 and 159,480 respectively for the upcoming year. Most of these deaths can be attributed to late stage cancers that were not detected early on. When lung cancer is found early, the survival rate is roughly 50 percent. However, according to a new study, the current screening tests and techniques are not good at effectively finding lung cancer until it is too late, which is why the study tested the effectiveness of a new technique.

The study published in PLoS One aimed to see the effects of using x-rays in combination with a computer-aided detection system (CAD). The CAD allows the x-ray images to be enhanced and can even take away the ribs, which might be blocking certain cancerous or threatening indicators. The research study asked some radiologists to analyze x-rays without the use of CAD, and other radiologists to use CAD during their analyses. The researchers found that the radiologists who had the help of CAD were better able to find certain nodules that indicated a higher risk for lung cancer. Even though the nodules were benign, the chances of false positives were lowered overall.

"The Hope is that this specialized kind of X-ray might improve the ability over a standard X-ray to find cancers and minimize some of the drawbacks of CT scans," said study leader, Dr. Peter Mazzone. Mazzone is the director of the Cleveland Clinic Lunch Cancer Center.

One of the most common screening tools is an x-ray. However, x-rays cannot successfully pick up the small nodules that usually indicate an increase risk for lung cancer. The nodules are either too small or they are blocked by the ribs.  Another common screening test is with low-dose CT scans that generate a better picture. The National Lung Screening Trial reported that low-dose CT scans could lower the risk of death from lung cancer by 20 percent. CT scans, however, expose the patient to high dosages of radiation, roughly 15 times more than a standard x-ray. Not only do CT scans increase exposure to radiation, they usually lead to more x-rays and CT scans due to the tendency of generating false positives. These tests can also be very pricey, with an average CT scan costing just under $2,000.

In the meantime, Mazzone is undertaking a new study to monitor the effectiveness of CAD x-rays to CT scans.