Annual chest X-rays don’t lower lung-cancer death rates

Using an annual chest X-ray to screen for a deadly disease such as lung cancer might seem to make some sense. But the tactic simply does not save lives.

The findings allow researchers to move to the next big question regarding early lung-cancer detection: whether annual CT screening (computed tomography) can lower death rates.

In a new study, researchers led by the University of Minnesota examined data from more than 154,000 people. Half of the participants, ages 55 to 74, were assigned to have annual chest X-rays while the other participants received their usual care. Among the participants, 45% were nonsmokers, 42% former smokers and 10% current smokers.

After 13 years of follow-up an almost equal number of deaths due to lung cancer were observed in the two groups.

The study was presented Wednesday at the American College of Chest Physicians annual meeting and was published online in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.

Other researchers published data earlier this year showing annual low-dose CT screening reduced lung-cancer deaths by 20% compared with annual chest X-rays. Further studies are needed to determine, however, whether annual CT scanning will reduce lung-cancer deaths rates compared with no screening at all.

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