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. 2015 Apr;3(5):67.
doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.2015.03.41.

Lung cancer detection with digital chest tomosynthesis: first round results from the SOS observational study

Luca Bertolaccini  1 , Andrea Viti  1 , Chiara Tavella  1 , Roberto Priotto  1 , Donatella Ghirardo  1 , Maurizio Grosso  1 , Alberto Terzi  1 ; SOS Study Group
Affiliations

Lung cancer detection with digital chest tomosynthesis: first round results from the SOS observational study

Luca Bertolaccini et al. Ann Transl Med. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: Baseline results of the Studio OSservazionale (SOS), observational study, a single-arm observational study of digital chest tomosynthesis for lung cancer detection in an at-risk population demonstrated a detection rate of lung cancer comparable to that of studies that used low dose CT scan (LDCT). We present the results of the first round.

Methods: Totally 1,703 out of 1,843 (92%) subjects who had a baseline digital chest tomosynthesis underwent a first round reevaluation after 1 year.

Results: At first round chest digital tomosynthesis, 13 (0.7%) subjects had an indeterminate nodule larger than 5 mm and underwent low-dose CT scan for nodule confirmation. PET/CT study was obtained in 10 (0.5%) subjects and 2 subjects had a low-dose CT follow up. Surgery, either video-assisted thoracoscopic or open surgery for indeterminate pulmonary nodules was performed in 10 (0.2%) subjects. A lung cancer was diagnosed and resected in five patients. The lung cancer detection rate at first round was 0.3% (5/1,703).

Conclusions: The detection rate of lung cancer at first round for tomosynthesis is comparable to rates reported for CT. In addition, results of first round digital chest tomosynthesis confirm chest tomosynthesis as a possible first-line lung cancer-screening tool.

Keywords: Lung cancer; digital chest tomosynthesis; early stage lung cancer; lung cancer screening.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Digital chest tomosynthesis image showing a solid pulmonary nodule in a 57-year-old woman. (A) The pulmonary nodule is not visible on the postero-anterior chest radiograph; (B) digital chest tomosynthesis showing a left nodule (white arrow), confirmed in the CT scan; (C) the pathological examination, after the VATS lobectomy, showed the presence of an adenocarcinoma.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Digital chest tomosynthesis image showing a solid pulmonary nodule in a 63-year-old man. (A) The pulmonary nodule is not visible on the postero-anterior chest radiograph; (B) digital chest tomosynthesis showing a right basal nodule (white arrow), confirmed by CT scan (C) and PET (D). After the VATS lobectomy, the pathological examination showed the presence of a squamous cell carcinoma.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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